After a late start to the season it’s hard to believe there’s still three rounds of racing left to go as Michelin head back to Spain for a Valencia double-header with the Gran Premio de Europa this weekend, followed by the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana just 7 days later.
A visit to Valencia traditionally spells the end of the season, but this year it will give way to a new circuit as the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal becomes the final location on the 2020 calendar.
However, before what promises to be an exciting finale in Portugal, Michelin and the MotoGP field face two races at the often tricky Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which is the only track fully enclosed in an arena, with grandstands surrounding the nine left- and five right-hand turns. Unfortunately due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19, there will be no fans at trackside to give the usual vibrant feel that goes with a Valencian Grand Prix.
The anti-clockwise circuit has a tight, twisty layout and this means it will be the only track in 2020 which demands the full Michelin Power Slick range to be asymmetric. Standing at 4,005m in length, riders can expect to encounter quite cold conditions at this time of the year. Riders will have a choice of soft, medium and hard compound options for both the front and rear, and these have been specially matched to meet the unique demands posed by the circuit’s configuration. The asymmetric design will see a harder compound used on the left-hand side of the tyre, to cope with the higher number of corners that travel in that direction and the increased stress that side of the tyre faces throughout each lap, whilst the right side will feature a compound designed to heat-up quickly in these demanding conditions.
Wet weather has something of a regular occurrence at Valencia in recent seasons and with the races taking place in November the possibility of another wet race is quite high. As such, Michelin will have a range of Power Rain tyres available to give riders the ultimate grip if rain falls. These will be available in symmetric soft and medium compounds for the front and asymmetric soft and medium compounds, with a harder left-hand edge, for the rear. The tyre allocation for the two events at Valencia will be identical.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager commented:
“This has been an unusual season and one that has been complicated with some very strange weather, but now as we reach the tail-end of the year we are heading to a circuit that we know what can be expected, as we visit Valencia at this time of the year in a normal calendar. We anticipate very cold mornings and the specific layout of the track with its tight turns and short straights, means it is one of the few tracks that we have a full asymmetric range of slicks for the front and rear, in fact it is the only one this season after the cancellation of Sachsenring and Phillip Island. The tyre spends a lot of time on the left, so never really cools down, but conversely the right is not used much so needs to heat up quickly when it is needed, so we have to blend the perfect combination of compounds to give the best pairing to satisfy all riders, as well as coping with the challenge of the weather and the characteristics of the track. These will be two very demanding weekends, but with past experience we know what to expect, come rain, shine or cold.”
