Arrived in Portimao for the Grand Prix MotoGP from Portugal, Alex Espargaro spoke to the press at a lack of explanation regarding the bad feeling he had with his Michelin tire during the Qatar GP.
However, around the same time, and probably even a little before, Michelin had held a meeting with Aprilia technicians to inform them of their study of the situation. Lack of internal communication in Noale's team or simple unfortunate timing, ultimately it doesn't matter, the explanation is there and even confirms the words of the Catalan driver. But there was a reason!
We contacted Piero Taramasso, manager of the Michelin two-wheel competition, who was kind enough to share the summary with us…
"At you reading, iai summer be surprised by qu'ton done we have already made returns to Aprilia. On peut already doing a return enough quickly sur certains settings after the race. And and Read, ordidn't do when same un large meeting technical where we have present our investigation report à Aprilia, with tout the staff. C'was au less 20 pages. Because owell eu a no one qui a work during 3 days dessus, and we a analysis the datas given by Aprilia. Donc en analyzing ces dates, of numbers et numbers that tu ne can to to interpret, to make the final statement short is simple. Le feeling byAleix, qui is un pilot which je respect beaucoup, is justified. Conclusion feeling, it is exactly ce qu'il its pass: il had little feeling, il had very little grip à the Qatar race. Ethe reason is tailored; his own tire was cold ! En does, il not'was to hot, il was au less 10° more cold compared to all the other pilots of the grid. Le tire back medium they have in use in Qatar it is le tire the hardest, the most rigid de our line. SO ces tires leaves si tu start with a temperature , here is to au a level, surtout with au less 10° of less, c'is something truement very very very ddifficult to do it function. C'is for it it a eu from evil to departure, he has eu hard to do monter en temperature, et iput it long time for arrive Has cchronos let's say correct. Thethe fact when same his own better tour at 2/10 du better tour en course, et compare au better tour it had does en sprint, il was at 6/10., andt si tu look it is le same difference thathad the other pilots: related tox betters chronos du sprint, any the world has rolled 5 or 6/10 slower. Donc il was en line with other, EXCEPT at departure he took a long time toe put en temperature by it is gone lower. Et it, it not'can help to. Les tires, The there has no secret: si tu not'as no temperature, tu don't have no pressure, and le tire ne peut to work correctly. It is it , here a caused let's say la performance manoint que ce to what they expected. Good, il ends when same 8And. Cike tu as vu, the tires were very constant. Bagnaia did great ones cchronos, Martin did le better best at the end ofand the race. Pprobably, ce qualmost beaucoup cheek, c'is la procedure de departure en 2 time. Là, visibly, the tires have lost temperature and after they not'were to loans. SO for soft it is from si simple that it, Aprilia is au current, Aleix is au running also. And each time qu'on has remarks from pilots, we do our analysis, and it us costs of days working doing more on try to be the most goal possible. Afterwards we do always a return to pilot and team."
Once again, the “mystery” is therefore solved, but this episode is interesting because it perfectly illustrates that a driver who blames his tires can be entirely in good faith, without his tires being guilty of anything. whether it be…
