With a full year of race and test data under their belts, Michelin have announced several key changes to their range of Power MotoGP tyres for the upcoming season.
First of all engineers have worked on a new profile front slick, first introduced for the Valencia race in 2016, and further tweeked over winter with very positive feedback from riders during subsequent tests.
Allied to the new rear tyre which offers greater traction, riders will be able to get better drive out of the corners as they seek to obtain faster and faster lap times.
A rule change for this year will also see Michelin supply three slick specifications for both front and rear this year, the minimum last year being just two. The increase in choice should give riders greater scope to find the perfect option for their setup, making for more competitive and interesting racing as a result.
Michelin have also taken the decision to withdraw their intermediate tyres, wih the harder compound Power Rain proving more than durable enough on a drying track.
One of the biggest changes for 2017 is the introduction of a new ‘Tyre Detection System’ which uses wireless technology to identify which tyre each rider is using. Each wheel will be fitted with a Tyre Air Pressure Sensor (TAPS) with a unique ID. All tyres will then have a unique bar code which will be matched to TAPS via scanning, confirming which tyre is fitted to which bike. A transmitter in the TAPS emits a signal which is then read by the bike’s transponder and then the unique ID is transmitted to and received by the timing receivers around the circuit, this is then in turn immediately communicated to the organiser. This information will then be supplied directly by Dorna to the TV companies/timing boards for broadcast, so the viewers will know straight away which tyre each rider is using. This will enable up-to-the-minute information to be available and will work alongside the visible identification of the coloured bands on each tyre.
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme commented:
“We have had three successful tests and have confirmed the direction we are taking with the tyres for the 2017 season. We introduced the new front profile tyre at Valencia and it worked very well, now after the three tests the riders have given some very favourable and useful feedback so we know we are moving in the right direction for their needs. We also listened to their requests for more traction from the rear – because every rider always wants to go faster and accelerate harder – so we have worked on that and again believe we have supplied what the riders are looking for. As the season progresses we will continue to evolve our tyres as we are constantly striving to give the riders the optimum performance in all conditions at every track, but for now we feel we are in a much stronger position as this season starts than we were this time last year.
We are also very pleased with the new rule changes and the introduction of the Tyre Detection System. The option for us to bring three front and rear slick tyres opens a greater opportunity to supply tyres that will fit across a broader spectrum and continue with the different choices and possible more bold decisions from the riders and teams as to what tyres to use in certain conditions. We are certainly looking forward to 2017 with an excited air and hoping that the racing with be as thrilling, if not even more so, than 2016!”
