The Mugello track will host the Italian Grand Prix this weekend which will be the scene of the sixth round of the MotoGP championship. A route appreciated by all drivers, technical and hilly with one particularity: a straight line long enough to break speed records. 350 km/h is a formality for the best. Yes, but this year, we fear what might happen there.
For what ? Because the fins. The contacts we had in the paddock with people very knowledgeable about technology, with years spent tuning a motorcycle and dissecting the data, did not hide their concerns. Questions arising directly from the analyzes carried out at Le Mans. There, when the motorcycles were fully loaded, the movements of the machines were certain. Enough to subject the rear tire to torture which, let us point out, is here more victim than perpetrator. Victim of the aerodynamic downforce generated by the ailerons which provides additional resistance; spinning at 360 km/h is not an easy life, but doing it between an abrasive surface and a wall of wind is downright inhumane...
But that’s precisely, that’s the function of the ailerons; crush the front, even if it means lightening the rear in the process, leading to straight-line skating in Jerez. In Mugello, they should do wonders. Certainly, but for what consequences? These constraints are new, the drivers' physique will be strained while taking the slipstream in these conditions will also be a new exercise. Some riders (Honda) have already reported that staying in the wake of a motorcycle equipped with fins generates real turbulence.
Mugello, due to its configuration, will be a real test. The forces generated by these accessories will be closely watched by engineers, pilots and the manufacturer. This will perhaps be the truth step for the wings which are tearing the manufacturers apart over their future.
