• MICHELIN Power Slick tires once again demonstrated their consistency and versatility, allowing Michelin partners to set new records on the Sachsenring circuit (Germany).
• The tires specific to this atypical layout (10 left turns and only 3 right) allowed the drivers to engage in an intense battle from the first to the last turn.
Although we are in the heart of summer, the weather was not always summery this weekend in the Saxony region (Germany), bordering the Czech Republic. The Sachsenring circuit, which has hosted MotoGP™ since 1998, is the shortest (3,671 km) and slowest of the season, but it has particularities that make it particularly difficult. Comprising ten left turns and only three right turns, at one of its ends it contains a series of left turns that are particularly taxing on the tires. In addition, this series is then followed by a right turn, downhill, which constitutes one of the major challenges of this circuit. Fortunately, thanks to Michelin tire technology, the MotoGP World Championship riders were able to attack from start to finish without any apprehension, whether the mercury was reading 20°C or more than double that on the ground, as was the case during the course. of these three days of activities on the track.
« The weather changes, but not the performance of our tires! ", indicated Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin's two-wheel competition. “ After a Friday made complex by the wind and the cold, Saturday and Sunday showed more constant but also higher temperatures. However, we could see that the performances were there from the practice sessions, since the track record was broken for the first time on Friday afternoon. But here, at the Sachsenring, the experience is not only special in terms of the temperatures. The configuration of the circuit, with a sequence from turn 4 to turn 10 only to the left, then a switch to the right downhill for turn 11, is a permanent subject of discussion. For this type of configuration, and while the tire cools considerably on its right side during several turns, you need a rubber that remains at its best level of grip and traction (for the rear tire) when the driver returns to the corner right. To do this, we have reinforced the rubber on the left for both the front and rear tires, but also selected a compound that controls thermal variations well in order to preserve all the key performances. So, for the rear we could see that the Soft compound was perfect on Saturday for the Sprint race, while the Medium compound was there to cover the 30 laps of the Grand Prix. At the front, taking into account the temperature on the ground, the Hard rubber was invariably the right one, and once again all the records fell. The most important thing in our eyes is the reduction of more than 12 seconds in the duration of the Grand Prix, which underlines the long-lasting performance of our tires. Tire consistency is the key to a successful race weekend. »
At the Sachsenring, Michelin provided its partners with three notches of rubber (Soft, Medium, Hard) for the front, while the choice for the rear was based on Soft and Medium compounds. As happens only three times in the season – at Phillip Island (Australia), Valencia (Spain) and therefore at the Sachsenring – these tires feature an asymmetrical profile at the front and rear, with reinforced rubber on the side left, with regard to the distribution of the number of turns.
Saturday afternoon is George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who won the Sprint race (15 laps), ahead Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) and Francis Bagnaia (Ducati/Lenovo Team).
The Grand Prix, contested on Sunday at 14 p.m. (30 laps), saw the victory of Francis Bagnaia (Ducati/Lenovo Team), ahead of the two motorcycles from the Gresini Racing MotoGP team, entrusted to Marc et Alex Marquez.
All records have been broken
A new circuit record was set for the first time on Friday afternoon by Maverick Viñalès (Aprilia Racing) in 1'19.622. But this mark was improved the next morning, during the second qualifying phase, by George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who set a lap in 1'19.423.
George Martin is also the new record holder for the best lap in a race, with a time of 1'20.667 (compared to 1'21.225, record established in 2023 by the French driver Johan zarco, then holder in the Prima Pramac Racing team).
The maximum speed cursor has been pushed back by Peter Acosta (Red Bull Gas Gas Tech 3), from 305 km/h to 306,8 km/h.
Proof of the consistency of performance of Michelin tires, the duration of the Grand Prix has been reduced from 40'52.449 in 2023, to 40'40.063 in 2024.
The next round of MotoGP – the 10th of the 2024 season – will take place from August 2 to 4 on the Silverstone circuit. It will be the Monster Energy British Grand Prix.
