MotoGP spec-tyre supplier Michelin will take a range of asymmetric-only tyres to the upcoming Valencia double-header to cope with the expected cold mornings in Spain.
The tight and twisty layout of the anti-clockwise Ricardo Tormo circuit means it will be the only track this season where the whole range of slicks will be totally asymmetric to contend with the track’s 4,005m of asphalt, which will encounter quite cold conditions at this time of the year.
The compounds – available in soft, medium and hard – for the front and rear have been specially matched to meet these demands and those of the circuit’s configuration.
The asymmetric design will have the harder rubber on the left-hand side, 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.
“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,” said head cheese Piero Taramasso.
“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.”
Should it rain, Michelin will have wets 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 allocation for the two events will remain the same for both rain and slick tyres.
