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After three days of testing for the test riders that was hampered by foul weather, Michelin finally managed to get in almost an entire test session.
In fact, the rains came at four in the afternoon, forcing a few undaunted riders to go out on the track with rain tyres.
The important session, however, will be the one tomorrow, because in order to test the evolutions that were brought to Malaysia, the manufacturer from Clermont needs the riders to be at least close to an optimum setup with the new bikes.
“Yes, last week was not a nice situation. The asphalt does not dry out and we were all penalised – us, the riders and the manufacturers. For this first winter test session we brought three types of front tyres, medium, soft and hard – the same compounds used in 2016 - explains Piero Taramasso, manager of the two-wheeled sector - However, the carcass is the one that we tested right after Valencia, with a different profile compared with the one used during the Grand Prix. In fact, during the tests we had made a small evolution – a wider profile that all the riders liked because it gave them more confidence in the front."
For the rear tyre, on the other hand, there are no great changes.
"We are using the same tyres that we brought here to Sepang in 2016 - continues Taramasso - so the carcass is the one from 2016 in the medium and hard compound, which are joined by a softer solution that was already tested at Misano because now the rules have changed and we need to supply three specific tyres for each race. There is also a ‘2017 evolution’ rear tyre: the compound is the medium used at Sepang, already tested at Jerez in 2017, whereas the carcass is slightly softer in order to improve grip and traction.”
Tomorrow, Michelin will also provide the MotoGP riders with four new front tyres.
“They are tyres that we would like to begin using from the European races – Jerez or Le Mans. Two types of compound, medium and hard, to improve grip and minimise locking up during braking, and two types of carcass to get the tyres up to temperature more quickly and to improve confidence going into corners. All tyres that have never before been tested.”
Does the locking up during braking depend on the absence of the winglets?
“No, we had this problem even with the spoilers - came the answer from the Michelin spokesman - and it is too early to say whether it will worsen now with less load. Rather, the phenomenon was connected with the riding style of the individual riders, the way they squeeze the brake and obviously it was more evident on medium-slow tracks and with lower grip asphalt.”
In order to make some sense out of the times today, we should point out the testers [therefore, including Stoner] do not have any new spec tyres available to them. They have the 34 on the front (used throughout 2016) in two specifications and a 06 official available to them as well.
