MotoGP, Combating the cold, Michelin brings asymmetrical front tires to Barcelona

After the disaster that recently struck Valencia, the last Grand Prix of the season will be held at the Barcelona circuit. This is the second time in six months that the championship has set foot on Catalan soil, and the third in just over a year: the 2023 GP was held there in September. But the change in temperatures prompted Michelin to revise the tire package dedicated to this track.

"Between May and November, the temperature differences are such that we had to adapt," Piero Taramasso, Michelin's two-wheel manager, explained. "The configuration of the circuit doesn't substantially change the situation, but this difficult track is known for its low grip level. It's also asymmetrical, with much greater stress on the right side of the tires. As required by the rules in these circumstances, we'll bring additional compounds for the front and rear. We started from the package used in May and added a softer rear compound in case the track is cooler, so as to complement the soft and medium compounds (that become medium and hard), which had worked very well in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. These three rear tires will be asymmetrical, with the right shoulder reinforced. For the front, we decided not to bring the hard compound we had in May, because we think it won't be used. Instead, we're keeping the soft and medium options, to which we're adding two asymmetric specifications that we usually see at Valencia, the Sachsenring or Phillip Island, but with a reinforcement on the right. We want to offer our partners all possible solutions to effectively manage tire temperature and  have a spectacular end to the championship, like many of the races we've already seen this season."

In short, the MotoGP riders in Barcelona will have four front tires: an asymmetrical soft compound, a symmetrical medium compound, another hard compound and,  finally, an asymmetrical hard option, with a reinforced right side . As for the rear, they'll have three asymmetrical tires in soft, medium, and hard compounds, with the medium and hard corresponding to the soft and medium from last May.