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MotoGP, Silverstone: Michelin racing 'in the dark'

The track has been completely resurfaced and there have been no tests: 4 different front and rear tyre options

MotoGP: Silverstone: Michelin racing 'in the dark'

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Silverstone will be particularly challenging for Michelin this weekend, in that the track, for the first time in 22 years, has been completely resurfaced. The problem likes in the fact that it has not been possible to arrange any testing prior to the race, meaning that there are many unknowns for the technicians of Clermont-Ferrand.

For this reason, and in contrast to other races, riders will have 4 different compounds available at both the front and rear, rather than the usual 3. A special concession owing to the resurfacing. In summary, a soft, a medium and two tyres with different hard compounds will be available for both the front and rear. All will have a symmetrical construction, with the exception of the soft, which has a harder right side.

This is another big challenge for us as we are heading to the longest track of the year after it has a full resurface and we have not had the opportunity to test there - explains Michelin manager Piero Taramasso - We have had full advice from Silverstone, the company that laid the asphalt and have also had lots of information from other relevant parties that have given us some valuable feedback about the track. We also have our own data and we are confident that we will have the correct compounds for the new surface. When this season’s allocations were prepared at the start of the year, we were able to decide on four front and rear tyres for Silverstone and these will give all the riders different options to appraise before they make their race tyre decision.”

Translated by Heather Watson
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