Arriving on the MotoGP™ calendar in 2022, the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit is once again on the program this year. Repositioned, the event now takes place in October to launch the Indonesia-Australia-Thailand triple, whereas last year it took place in March, just after the opening of the season in Qatar.
Inaugurated on November 12, 2021, the Mandalika International Street Circuit is located on the island of Lombok, in the south of the Indonesian archipelago. With only 4,3 kilometers in length, this route is quite short but fast. It has six left turns and eleven right turns, as well as a short straight of 507 m. The profile is rhythmic with only two hard braking zones before turns 1 and 10. The most powerful machines will perhaps not have as much advantage as on other circuits, which promises a very competitive race with the Indian Ocean background.
With only one Grand Prix under its belt and due to a completely redone asphalt, in agreement with Dorna Sports, Michelin decided to bring to Mandalika the entire MICHELIN Power Slick range. The allocation includes symmetrical Soft, Medium and Hard tires for the front, as well as asymmetrical Soft, Medium and Hard tires, with a harder right side, for the rear. In the event of rain, which is always possible at this time of year, even if in Indonesia the monsoon does not officially begin until November, the MICHELIN Power Rain will be offered in Soft and Medium with a symmetrical rubber mix. front and asymmetrical at the back, always with the right side reinforced.
« The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia is of particular importance this year for Michelin. The winner of the race will give Bibendum its 500th victory in the FIM MotoGP World Championship. A great way to celebrate 50 years of innovation in motorcycle speed, since Jack Findlay's victory in the Senior TT in 1973. It was the first success for Michelin in the 500 cc category, the premier class of the time. ", said Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin's two-wheel competition.
« As for the Mandalika event, last year's experience taught us the importance of thermals on this circuit. Even if we move from March to October, the combination of the new coating, the fast profile and the high temperatures will still generate a lot of heat in the tires. This year, the front tires remain symmetrical and are available in the three notches Soft, Medium and Hard. The structure of the latter has been reinforced to offer pilots even more support. For the rear tires, we decided to use a reinforced structure for the three notches, coupled with asymmetrical compounds. In fact, we are bringing three specifications of the rear tire to Indonesia, instead of the two normally provided for by the regulations. »
The weekend will begin on Friday October 13 with a Free Practice 1 session and a second practice session valid for qualifying (Practice). Saturday, October 14, the day will begin with Free Practice 2, which will be followed by Q1 and Q2. The Tissot Sprint race (13 laps) will take place from 15:00 p.m. (local time). On Sunday, after the Warm Up, the race, 27 laps long, will still start at 15:00 p.m. local time (9:00 a.m. CET).
Michelin statistics in the FIM World Speed Championship since 1973:
500 wins
60 different winners (not counting this Indonesian GP)
12 different nationalities
8 different manufacturers
56 different tours
72% of championship victories open to competition between tire manufacturers
28% in single-brand
277 victories in the 500cc category
223 MotoGP victories
The most victorious pilots with Bibendum:
Valentino Rossi: 65 victories
Mick Doohan: 54 victories
Marc Marquez: 35 victories
Eddie Lawson: 26 victories
Freddie Spencer / Kevin Schwantz: 20 victories
Barry Sheene: 19 victories
Wayne Gardner: 18 wins
Francesco Bagnaia: 16 victories
Alex Crivillé: 15 victories