As at the end of each Grand Prix day, Michelin broadcasts its technical notes concerning the more or less perfect osmosis between the track and the MotoGP tires that it provides to all the competitors in the premier category.
According to the feedback from the 24 drivers, Hard at the front and Medium at the rear seems to be the combination that will be favored by the majority, even if the more daring could opt for the soft rear...
Michelin technical notes for Friday:
Dry weather on Friday in Valencia with a lot of wind which affected the drivers quite badly. Additionally, the track offered a low level of grip, as is often the case on the first day.
The track temperature was 24°C in the morning, reaching 31°C in the afternoon.
All specifications were tested, with positive feedback overall, particularly for the Hard front/Medium rear combination which provided good support and stability front and rear, with good performance at warm-up, good grip and consistency. The Soft front was used to start the morning session but was quickly deemed too soft with excessive movement when hot, but it worked well for short time attack runs for less demanding riders. The Medium front was better but didn't perform as well in these conditions due to a tendency to lose potential on the left side of the tire. The Hard front, which is a bit stiffer compared to the 2021 option, seemed the best option for the circuit in these conditions.
As already mentioned, the Medium rear seemed the most effective option due to the good compromise between grip, consistency and stability it offered. The Soft rear used for time trial attacks didn't seem to offer much additional grip, but its potential should be greater than the Medium once track conditions improve, although this is also likely to be accompanied by increased degradation. The Hard rear was tested several times, both in the morning and afternoon sessions, but the warm-up was not optimal and the level of grip was felt to be too low, particularly at the maximum angles.
Despite these difficult conditions, lap times remained fast for a Friday.
Michelin technical notes for Saturday:
Better conditions in Valencia today as there was no wind. The track temperature was 23°C in the morning, and 32°C during the afternoon sessions.
Many laps were run on used tires to assess performance over the race distance (27 laps). In the end, it turned out that the Hard front is the best option for tomorrow's race because the stability and consistency are very good. The Soft and Medium options were good for cooler morning sessions or time attacks.
When it comes to rear options, the Medium is very popular because the warm-up time is quite fast, the grip is good, and the consistency is very acceptable for riders. The Soft can also be an option for racing, but the performance difference is not huge compared to the Medium and the drop is more pronounced. However, on the positive side, the behavior of the latter was appreciated by some riders who felt that the bike behaved more fluidly/linearly with this tire.
Based on rider feedback and this weekend's conditions, it appears that the vast majority will opt for the Hard front and Medium rear combination.
Grand Prix Qualification 2 Results MotoGP of the Valencian Community on the Ricardo Tormo circuit:
Grand Prix Qualification 1 Results MotoGP of the Valencian Community on the Ricardo Tormo circuit:
Credit ranking: MotoGP.com
