De Luigi Ciamburro / Corsedimoto.com
MotoGP 2020 will have a new parameter: the Michelin rear tire. What do the chief mechanics think? David Muñoz: “this can help Valentino Rossi. »
The new rear tire introduced to the MotoGP category calls for riders to make slight modifications to their riding style, and engineers to make modifications to the suspension and chassis. When the motorcycle is tilted, the contact area is larger. As a result, in acceleration, in the traction phase, drivers will have better grip and higher traction than last year. Apparently, the new carcass could (initially) facilitate some teams (Yamaha and Suzuki) and call other teams (Ducati and Honda) into forced labor. But what do those inside the stands think?
David Muñoz, technical manager of Valentino Rossi, admits a small advantage. “ Our bike has evolved a lot since last year and this new Michelin tire has helped us. Last year, Rossi had tire overheating problems during some races. » Obviously, this new tire will not solve the problems of the man from Tavullia in the second half of the race, when he suffered from a lack of grip. And the three-day test in Losail amply demonstrated this, especially on the third day.
Jose Manuel Cazeaux, chief engineer ofAlex Rins, be careful before talking about the advantages. “ We tried it a few times last year, then in Valencia and Jerez. On our bike we didn't see big differences, but it gave us more performance and consistency during race simulations. We are happy, but we have heard that for other factories, but this is no longer the case, they had noticed more differences, positive and negative. In our case, to be honest, we didn't notice a big difference. »
DUCATI, APRILIA AND KTM
At Ducati, however, the new soft rear tire causes quite a few headaches. Alberto Giribuola, chief mechanic of Andrea Dovizioso, admits that the GP20 is not yet ready to use the new Michelin carcass. “ From what we've seen so far, the tire seems better in terms of grip, but it's a bit more complicated in terms of handling. As grip deteriorates, the bike starts to get a little more nervous. So we have to work to try to keep the extra grip, which is good, but at the same time we have to turn it into something that we can use »
Satisfaction in the Aprilia house. Antonio Jimenez, chief mechanic ofAleix Espargaro, highlights the advantages when entering and exiting corners. "THE new Michelin tire has a little more potential and stability. I heard that there are some who are not satisfied with it, but generally speaking I think the drivers are fast and they are happy with the tires . »
Sergio Verbena, chief technician of Brad Binder, promotes the novelty introduced in MotoGP: “ They have taken a step forward, the bike has more traction and is more stable in terms of racing distance. Now we have to confirm these sensations on other tracks »
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