Michelin has to react and adjust the tyre quota for the new MotoGP circuit in Indonesia – The soft tyre will be replaced for safety reasons
The three-day MotoGP test at the new Mandalika circuit, located on the Indonesian island of Lombok, was very important from several points of view. Unlike Formula 1, there are no simulators, so the riders have to get to know a track in real life.
The teams also have to adapt the set-up. This also involves basic things such as gearbox set-up. Feedback is also collected regarding safety, run-off zones and so on.
It was determined that improvements have to be made. The track operators are going to resurface a part of the track because small stones had come loose from the asphalt during the test and turned into projectiles when they were stirred up. And finally, the test was also important for Michelin.
Since Mandalika is driven at an angle for a large part of the lap, the loads on the tyres are correspondingly high. It turned out that Michelin had the right front tyres for these conditions. The soft and the medium front tyres were well suited.
These are the same tyres that will be used in Sepang (Malaysia). The situation was different for the rear tyre. The medium rear tyre was the preferred tyre. The teams mainly worked with it and focused on long runs.
But the soft rear tyre was almost too soft. Due to the track layout and the high temperatures, the right flank became very hot. Therefore, this tyre will not be in the contingent at the race weekend, which takes place from 18 to 20 March.
“You can do 25 laps with this tyre with acceptable lap times. The problem is that the temperature in the right side of the tyre gets very high. We have already seen in advance in simulations that this will be a critical aspect on this track. “
“We must not forget that the tarmac is new. A new surface always makes for high temperatures or wear. This time it’s the temperature and it reminds me of Silverstone 2019, where we saw heavy blistering in the race on the new asphalt. “
That’s why this soft tyre is not a race option. Instead, Michelin will choose a more heat-resistant compound. “If they change the tyres, it will be difficult,” says Aleix Espargaro. “We are not starting from zero, but with different tyres everyone will have to adapt the set-up.”
But the Michelin engineers in Clermont-Ferrand have another aspect to consider. During the three days of testing, the asphalt temperatures were lower than last November at the World Superbike Championship race weekend.
At that time, up to 60 degrees Celsius were measured. “That can happen here,” notes Taramasso. “That’s why we could do with a hard solution for the front and rear for safety reasons.” The final tyre allocation for Indonesia has not yet been published.
