Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana 2022 Round 20
For the final race of MotoGP™ 2022, the Michelin Motorsport team and the rest of the paddock head to Valencia, Spain, for the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 20e event of the year, on the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.
Ricardo Tormo is the only “stadium” circuit on the calendar and its very confined layout allows spectators to have an overview of the narrow and tight turns which take place on each side of the stands. Due to this unique configuration, asymmetrical MICHELIN Power Slicks are an absolute necessity for the front and rear. It is one of three circuits this season that requires this.
The four kilometers of asphalt with nine left and five right turns, a straight line of 876 m, run counterclockwise. Tires spend a lot of time on the shoulder and must withstand heavy stress. The allocation of MICHELIN Power Slicks includes a Soft, a Medium and a Hard for the front and rear, all asymmetrical. This is the third 100% asymmetric allocation of the season, with those of Sachsenring and Phillip Island. For Valencia, the hardest side is on the left due to the nine corners going in that direction which put more stress on this part of the tire.
At this late date of the year, conditions can be rainy in Valencia, as has sometimes been the case in the past. The MICHELIN Power Rain are available in Soft and Medium for the front and rear. The rears are asymmetrical like the slicks with a reinforced left side. The fronts are symmetrical.
At the dawn of the Valencia weekend, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager, said: “ The Valencia stadium offers very specific challenges, not only because of its configuration, but also because of the date of the Grand Prix, and in 2023 it will be even later. It can be very sunny, but also very cold in the mornings in this part of Spain. Also, we offer tires with rapid revving that are also capable of providing grip when the track heats up.
In addition, because of the number of left turns that follow one another, the left shoulder of the tires never rests because the motorcycles are always resting on it. This is one of the challenges for our engineers and developers who must design asymmetric tires capable of meeting all these constraints. It is therefore the last race of the season, and the championship is not yet decided. But for us, it is also the signal for the launch of the 2023 season with a day of testing on site after the race. »
MotoGP riders will take to the track for the first two Free Practice sessions on Friday November 4. On Saturday, two other sessions are scheduled before Qualifications which will provide the starting grid. The 27-lap long race will start at 14:00 p.m. on Sunday November 6.
