In this extremely unusual season, Michelin’s next stop on the calendar is Italy where the newly resurfaced Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will stage a busy schedule with two MotoGP™ and three MotoE™ races spread over two consecutive weekends.
The famous 4,226m Italian circuit is situated close to the coastline of the Adriatic Riviera and features an intricate and technical layout . High-speed curves and corners, slow turns and a short straight put some very specific demands on the front tyres especially, and the Power Slick range chosen for the two events has been matched to the new asphalt – which was tested earlier this year by Michelin – to give the riders and machines the best possible performance from the tyres.
Although it features six left- and ten right-hand turns, the full range of soft, medium and hard compound front slick tyres all use a symmetric finish.However, as the rules allow for an additional tyre at a newly resurfaced track, a hard asymmetric front slick with a harder right-hand side will also be available to give the riders another option. The soft, medium and hard rears will be asymmetric with a harder right shoulder too.
Commonly known as the ‘San Marino Grand Prix’, the coastal location and time of the year has increases the prospect of a wet race, so the Power Rain tyres will be in the allocation for such an eventuality. Soft and medium symmetric fronts and asymmetric soft and medium rears, with the harder right side, will give the riders ultimate grip in the wet.
Situated close to the city of Rimini, the circuit has been a permanent fixture on the MotoGP calendar since its return in 2007. It is always a colourful affair with the 60,000 capacity being filled to the full. This season due to the COVID-19 restrictions MotoGP has taken place behind closed doors, but the two races at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will be the first to admit fans inside the arena. At the behest of local authorities, 10,000 spectators will be welcomed every day and have to meet various rules and regulations regarding social distancing to give them the opportunity to be trackside.
Michelin will also be hard at work with three FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup races being held across the two weekends. This will be the second racetrack that their new Slick MotoE tyres have been used at this year, followin a debut in Jerez. The range now features a redesigned rear slick and the whole range now uses a range of biomaterials and regenerated materials. Michelin’s new tyres for MotoE are more efficient and environmentally friendly and are now benefiting from the use of sustainable resources in the compounds. The slicks will be available in medium at the front and soft at the rear – the same as at every event – both of which are symmetrical, and if wet weather arrives the Power Rain soft tyres at the front and extra soft at the rear, both of which are also symmetrical, will be in the riders’ allocation.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager commented:
“Back-to-back races are always a demanding time, but at these two events ahead of us we also have the added pressure of three MotoE races over the two weekends, as well as the two MotoGP races. It will be a very busy time, but everybody involved will be totally focused on their different roles to make sure all the riders – no matter what class – get exactly the same kind of information and assistance. Misano is an unusual circuit and you never really know what to expect. It gave lots of grip in 2018 and we broke records and saw fast and consistent laps, but then last year the asphalt behaved as if there was hardly any traction at all, so it was good to have it resurfaced in readiness for this season and because of testing we conducted with various teams and riders, we have the data to choose this year’s compounds, we now have to see how the asphalt performs during a race weekend.
“MotoE will have three races, one during the first weekend and then two the following week. We will be using the new tyres with the biomaterials and regenerated materials, these performed really well at Jerez in July and we expect them to give the riders the grip they need for this form of sustainable racing, which is very important to Michelin.
“There will also be a big change during these two weekends because we will have spectators for the first time after five races without any. It will be a smaller amount than is normally at Misano, but this is an important step forward, especially when you consider how much Italy suffered at the start of this pandemic, it is a very positive step to see the relevant authorities taking this decision and allowing some fans in, I hope we all give them a show to be proud of.”
