Motul Japanese Grand Prix
Following last weekend's race in Spain, the Michelin Motorsport team is gearing up for the second of three consecutive races in the busiest three weeks of the 2022 MotoGP™ season, as the championship heads to Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan for the Grand Prix Motul from Japan.
Located between the towns of Mito and Utsunomiya in the northern Kantō region of Haga District in Tochigi Prefecture, Mobility Resort Motegi is a motorsports venue specially designed for the whole family, including, in addition to the circuit racing, a driving education center, a karting track and the impressive Honda collection hall.
The first stop of four races in the Asia-Pacific region, the Motegi circuit is a track that features hard braking zones and large acceleration zones, all on an above-average abrasive surface. The 4m circuit layout features four distinct straights, meaning a lot of the time is spent on the center of the tire, but due to the limited number of fast, flowing corners, the rear tires aren't as much requested only on certain other circuits.
The layout of the circuit, with its six left and eight right turns, places specific demands on the front tire, with good braking stability and rapid warm-up being two crucial requirements. Taking these elements into account, the MICHELIN Power Slick allocation was selected to provide optimal performance, durability and consistency for all drivers throughout the 24 laps of the race. The front tires in Soft, Medium and Hard compounds will all be symmetrical, while all rear tires are asymmetrical, with a harder right shoulder.
The region is covered in dense forests, which means the tour can be prone to fog, mist and wet weather. If these conditions prevail, the MICHELIN Power Rain tire range will be available. They will be available in soft and medium compound front and rear, and like their slick counterparts, the front tires will be symmetrical and the rear tires asymmetrical.
About the Motegi race, Piero Taramasso, Manager Michelin Two Wheel Motorsport, said: “ This is the first of four takeoff races and the second of three consecutive races. Before the pandemic, this was always a logistically demanding time, and it will be interesting to see how the track surface has changed since our last visit in 2019, and how the aerodynamic devices and shapeshifters that have been introduced since then could affect tire performance here.
We know that Motegi is a circuit that demands high levels of front-end stability under the harsh braking forces generated here, particularly in corners such as the '90-degree Corner', but drivers also need grip from the rear tires to get the power needed to accelerate out of these slower corners. Our 2022 lineup features compounds and carcass designs that we know will meet these demands and give riders the confidence to push themselves and their machines to the limit. »
Due to the trip between Spain and Japan, the Motegi schedule has been adapted to allow teams more adjustment time in the paddock. Therefore, FP1 will take place on Friday afternoon, and FP2 and FP3 will precede the two qualifying sessions on Saturday – there will be no FP4. On Sunday, the 24-lap MotoGP race will start at 15:00 p.m. local time.
