After the season opener in Qatar, Aleix Espargaro complained about the tire and a ride “on black ice” – Michelin has found an explanation
After a difficult race, MotoGP riders are always complaining that they got a “bad” tire from Michelin. The most recent example was Aleix Espargaro. At the season opener in Qatar, the Aprilia rider was considered the favorite for the Grand Prix after the sprint. But in the long race he played no part in the leading group and finished eighth.
“From the warm-up lap onwards, I felt the rear tire slipping like it was on ice,” said Espargaro after the race. “I had no traction. I couldn’t ride in a lean angle, an absolute nightmare.”
He demanded an analysis and explanation from Michelin. “Yes, but I didn’t get one,” said Espargaro at the start of the Portimao weekend. “I don’t understand it. Either they are still investigating it or they can’t find an explanation.”
“I have a very good relationship with Piero and the Michelin technicians. I often talk to him, also about other things. We’ve been friends for a thousand years. If they haven’t given me an explanation, then I would understand that they don’t have one.”
However, there is an explanation. Our Italian colleagues from GPOne.com asked Piero Taramasso, Head of Motorcycle Motorsport at Michelin, and received an explanation.
Espargaro’s problems were also related to the aborted start caused by Raul Fernandez. “Following Aleix’s statements in Qatar, Aprilia provided us with all the data, which we used to make a precise analysis.”
“One person worked for three days and produced a 20-page report,” explained Taramasso, coming to the conclusion: “The figures don’t lie, you can’t interpret them. There were no problems with the tires.”
But what happened then that Espargaro rode “as if on black ice” in Qatar? “He started with a tire temperature that was ten degrees Celsius lower than all the other riders. The restart procedure after Fernandez’s problem didn’t help either.”
“Some teams managed the situation better than others,” said Taramasso. “The fact is that the temperature for Aleix was ten degrees Celsius lower than for the other riders. That’s a big difference.”
“That’s why it was normal that he had no grip. The tire doesn’t work at these temperatures. During the race, however, his best lap time was only two tenths of a second slower than the fastest race lap.”
“Compared to his best lap in the sprint, he was six tenths of a second slower, as were all the drivers. For us the situation is clear, the temperature was the only problem. If there was a problem with the tire, you wouldn’t be just two tenths slower than the fastest lap.”
In Qatar, Pedro Acosta (Tech3-GasGas) set the fastest lap on the second lap with a time of 1:52.657 minutes. On the tenth lap, Espargaro set his personal best lap with 1:52.887 minutes
