This weekend Michelin will make their debut appearance at the challenging Termas De Rio Hondo circuit in Argentina as MotoGP heads to South America for the 2nd round of the 2016 season.
The 4.8 kilometre long Argentinian circuit wasn’t part of the calendar the last time Michelin were involved in MotoGP, so this will be their first competitive visit to a track which has proved very popular with spectators and riders alike since it’s introduction.
Characterised by a straight which stands at just over one kilometre in length, Termas De Rio Hondo has 9 right handers and 5 left handers, but the forces the tyres will have to deal with are relatively balanced from one side to the other.
Michelin anticipate high wear rates in Argentina, so they are supplying Medium and Hard compound slicks for both front and rear, along with their Intermediate and Rain tyres should the weather turn.
In 2015 Valentino Rossi recorded the fastest lap in the race and took the win ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, but with Jorge Lorenzo dominating the opening round in Qatar few would bet against the Spaniard to be running at the front of the pack once again this weekend.
Nicolas Goubert, Technical Director for Michelin Motorsport said the following:
“The Argentinian track is one of the fastest on the calendar and a true test of riders and tyres alike. With its fast sweeping corners and hard-braking areas, the circuit is a big challenge for us because it wasn’t on the calendar when we were last in MotoGP. We have only had a one-day test there. Since then our project has evolved quite a lot, so it is a real challenge to decide which tyre to build. We will be assessing the situation all weekend and analysing all the data intensely. The track seems to be very challenging for the front tyres, with tremendous wear. We have got ready some robust solutions so that we are able to have a good race, and make it as competitive as possible.”
