The first European round of the MotoGP season gets underway this weekend with teams and riders in action at Spain’s famous Jerez circuit.
It’s a track that Michelin are very familiar with, having tested their on many occasion, and they have used this experience to develop specific tyres for the varied 4.4 kilometre long circuit.
Jerez isn’t as demanding on tyres as the three circuits already visited this season, but these new tyres that Michelin have developed will still allow them to make the very most of their respective machines over the race weekend.
Michelin will provide a soft, medium and hard compound front slick, and a new stiffer construction rear with a symmetric soft and asymmetric medium compound, the latter having a harder rubber on the right shoulder of the tyre.
“The demands on the tyres are not as intense at Jerez as they are at some of the other tracks we have visited this season – or will do as the year progresses – but the circuit still has its own demands for which we need to find the correct solutions,” notes Nicolas Goubert, Deputy Director and Technical Director of Michelin Motorsport. “The specific compounds we will be using will enable the tyre to perform at its best for the entire lap of Jerez’s varied layout. We have had a number of tests at the circuit and Michelin raced here with great success during its last time in MotoGP, so we are going to a track with quite a lot of information for the first time this season. That said, this will be the first time we have been there in a racing capacity in seven years, so we are still very much in a learning process and will be throughout the weekend.”
With a win at Jerez in 2014, and in his current form, Marc Marquez will be looking to extend his 21 point lead over Ducati bound Jorge Lorenzo in the championship standings, whilst Valentino Rossi will be looking to make amends for his DNF in Austin – his first since Aragon in 2014.
After a consistent start to the season, Pol Espargaro is currently 4th in the championship, whilst brother Aleix and teammate Maverick Vinales will be looking to build on their excellent result in the USA just two weeks ago.
