• One week after the Motul TT Assen in the Netherlands, the drivers of MotoGP™ take over the Sachsenring circuit in Germany for the ninth round of the season.
• With 10 left turns and only 3 right, this asymmetrical route requires tires with a specific tread, both front and rear.
Last year, the Sachsenring round was the center of a series of three Grand Prix weekends, between the very fast Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello (Italy), and the historic Assen circuit (Netherlands). . This season, the German event takes place a week after Assen, and will then give the drivers a month's respite before the British classic at Silverstone.
Located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in the Saxony region, the Sachsenring circuit is just 3,671 km long. This figure makes it the shortest of the season, but also, with Philipp Island (Australia), the most difficult for the tires. It is, however, one of the slowest, but its 10 left turns and 3 right turns, as well as the fact that its longest straight does not exceed 700 meters, generate strong constraints and little rest time for the tires. . It also has the particularity of being taken in a counterclockwise direction, which is a fairly rare occurrence during the season.
“The Sachsenring circuit requires a particular technical approach”, indicate Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin's two-wheel competition. “The drivers will continue from turn 4 to turn 10 only to the left, which makes turn 11, on the right and downhill, a particularly critical point. Our tires have been designed to respond to this type of situation and should nevertheless provide performance and confidence to our partners at all times. In the race, it will also be important to stay within the right temperature window to stay at the front, but also in the right turns. Furthermore, if summer is fast approaching, the last few weeks have shown us that disruptions are possible. We have been observing large temperature variations on the ground for several years, and last year we experienced several seasons in three days. The fact that the race takes place at the beginning of July rather than mid-June, as in 2023, will perhaps allow for milder temperatures at the start of the day, and a less significant contrast with the intense heat generally observed in the afternoon. . For all these reasons, our partners will, as always, have three notches of rubber available (Soft, Medium and Hard) for the front, and will be able to take advantage of our Medium or Soft tires at the rear. These erasers are versatile and should satisfy all requirements. On the other hand, as it only happens three times in the season (like at Phillip Island and Valencia), the front and rear tires will be asymmetrical, with a reinforced left side. We know the Sachsenring track well, and our 2024 compounds will be important allies for our partners, who will as always be keen to try to beat existing records. »
In the event of rain, Michelin will make the MICHELIN Power Rain range available to its partners in Soft and Medium rubbers for the front and rear, with the same profile as the MICHELIN Power Slick range.
Last year it was Jorge Martin (Ducati/Prima Pramac Racing) who won the Sprint race, ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati/Lenovo Team), and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Team).
The Grand Prix saw a new victory for Jorge Martin (Ducati/Prima Pramac Racing), again ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati/Lenovo Team), but also the other Ducati/Prima Pramac Racing, driven by Johann Zarco. The latter had on this occasion set the best lap in the race in 1min21.
During the Sprint, Marco Bezzechi (Ducati/Mooney VR46 Racing Team) for his part pushed the maximum speed cursor: 305 km/h, compared to the 304,2 km/h reached by Jorge Martin in 2022.
For the 2024 edition of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the on-track spectacle will begin on Friday July 5, with a test session in the morning, then a second which will allow the 10 fastest drivers to compete in the afternoon. directly access the second qualifying phase (Q2), the next day. After the free practice session, Saturday morning, Q1 will allow the drafting of two additional starters with a view to determining, at the end of Q2, the starting grid for the weekend. The Sprint race (15 laps) will take place on Saturday at 15:00 p.m., and the Grand Prix (30 laps) the next day at 14:00 p.m.
