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MotoGP, Nicolas Goubert: no risk for riders at Brno

"Few used the hard tyre, they hadn't tested it. Carcasses intact. Deterioration caused by overheating of the compound"

Nicolas Goubert: no risk for riders at Brno

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The riders were not at risk last Sunday while competing in the Czech Grand Prix at Brno, despite the fact that many of them barely finished the race.

These are the words of Nicolas Goubert, Michelin's number one at the racetracks.
"As we've already stated, the soft compound rain tyre was designed to be used in conditions of heavy rain. As the track dried out, it overheated, and it was at that point that pieces of the tread started to come away".

'Chunks', we could say. In reality, it was whole sections of the tyre, so much so that Iannone finished the race with a semi-destroyed tyre. Was it not very risky to allow him to ride like that?

"I don't think so. He could have stopped, he must have been experiencing a lot of vibration, but there were only a few laps to go. No rider would have chosen not to finish the race".

Couldn't the front tyre have exploded?

"No, the carcass was intact. Performance deteriorated gradually".

Andrea could have crashed of course. The question is, why did so few riders go with the hard compound of the same tyre?

"Firstly, I want to emphasise that the construction of the two tyres is identical, only the compound changes. The hard wasn't selected by many simply because very few riders had tested it, and so they didn't trust it. Even Crutchlow hadn't tested it, but he took a risk, knowing he'd have to be careful at the start. A lot of it has to do with them and their ability to quickly heat up the tyres. Of course it's a fine line in those conditions, the track is damp, you might crash".

We might say that they expected the Grand Prix to be a flag-to-flag race, and that after a dozen laps or so they'd come in and change tyres.

"But the race was flag-to-flag. They could have done that, and perhaps use the intermediates".

Is there an explanation for the varying deterioration of the tyres?  Some riders' tyres were destroyed while others managed to finish the race without problems.

"Different riding styles and settings, but also behaviour during the race. For example, Hector Barbera at one stage tried to stay on the wet sections to cool down the tyres. In these conditions, the tyres overheat because they are designed to be kept at the temperature of the water on track. It's not a coincidence that Iannone's tyre had deteriorated in the centre, as the temperature went up in braking. If we'd been at Phillip Island, it would have been the left side of the tyre".

Is there an explanation for the fact that with two identical bikes, the Yamahas of Rossi and Lorenzo, the wear was very different?

"Jorge uses a set-up with a lot more load on the front. This could be one of the reasons".

Translated by Heather Watson
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