From a press releease issued by Michelin through the World Superbike press office:

Looking for more Australian success

March 9th was a date to remember for Michelin. The opening round of the 2003 Formula One season was a Michelin festival with David Coultard (McLaren Mercedes) winning the race ahead of Juan-Pablo Montoya (BMW Williams) and Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes). This was the first all-Michelin podium since the French tyre giant’s return to F1. Now, as the World Superbike Championship heads down under for its 2nd round, Michelin motorcycle racing specialists are hoping for more of the same.

At the first round held at Spain’s Valencia circuit, Neil Hodgson (Fila Ducati-Michelin) was in stunning form. “I was fastest in each practice session, I won both races, I beat the lap record… what more could I ask for? This is my first ever double and I’ m very proud of it,” Hodgson beamed. “I’m also very happy to have adapted so well to the Michelins.” Hodgson’s teammate Ruben Xaus (Fila Ducati-Michelin) finished a fine runner-up in both races.

Since the start of the world Superbike Championship in 1988, Michelin riders have won 251 of the 365 races held and taken 11 out of 15 possible world titles. In 2002, Michelin won 25 of the 26 races and took the first three places in 10 of those events. So far, Michelin has won all the races run in 2003.

Valencia was also the first race for a brand new bike. And the FP1 performed above expectations for its debut World Superbike event. Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas Racing-Michelin) qualified on the front row and came home 7th in the second leg. Team owner Carl Fogarty was delighted. “I am really relieved and pleased that both guys have come away with championship points,” the four-times World Superbike champion admitted. “It has been a battle and I am really pleased for Petronas, Suter Racing Technology, Michelin – and myself! But I’m especially pleased for the mechanics who have worked all hours out here. If someone had said to me that we were going to start on the front row, and both riders would score points, I would have said that they were completely crazy. We know there is a lot more to come and we have shown that we are going to be a serious contender and a little bit sooner than people expected – the sooner the better for me because I want to win just as much as I did when I was a rider.”


New tyre rules – first impressions.


New rules governing tyre use have been decided this year and Valencia was a first for them as well. The rules state that each rider may use a maximum of 13 rear slicks for both days of practice. There is no limit to the number of rain tyres that can be used.

So far, Michelin Superbike Racing Manager Jean Hérissé is happy with the new rules. “They seem to be working out fine for us,” he smiles. “At Valencia, Neil Hodgson still had 5 tyres left for practice if he’d needed them. Even though he did three endurance tests during practice. But it is true that the testing we did there the weekend before the race helped us.”

2004 restrictor sizes. The Superbike Commission has approved new technical rules for the size of the restrictors that will be required for 1000cc superbikes in 2004. These are the restrictor sizes according to cylinder numbers:

– 2 cylindres: 50 mm

– 3 cylindres: 39 mm

– 5 cylindres: 27 mm

– 6 cylindres: 22.5 mm

A 32.5mm restrictor rule is already in use this year for 4 cylinder 1000cc bikes.


Phillip Island and tyres.


Back in the twenties, the roads around Philip Island were very popular with local speed freaks. In 1928, the first Australian car Grand Prix was held at the Island on a 6.5 miles/10.4585 km course. 1931 was the year motorcycles first raced at the Island, f or an event that was a lot like the Isle of Man TT on a 12 mile/19.308 km course. The permanent racing facility was opened in 1956.


Philip Island is a varied and demanding 4.445 kms with everything from hairpins (minimum radius 23 m) to fast turns (maximum radius 207 m). Right-hand turns are scarce with only two such corners, Honda and Turn 10. In the fastest of left-handers, like turn 12 (the last turn before the start/finish straight), tyre temperatures go above normal. Standard running temperature for a rear slick is between 80 and 120°C but at Phillip Island, they often go beyond 130°C. Dual compound tyres are used. “The left and right sides of the tyre are made of different compounds,” explains Jean Hérissé. “We use a harder compound for the left hand side because most of the turns on this track are left-handers.


“Making a duel compound tyre isn’t much harder than making a standard tyre. You need the right tooling and know-how of course. Matching the two types of compounds properly is the difficult part.”

To be fast at the Island, a rider needs to take care of his tyres. Precise throttle control is what’s required to keep the tyres as fresh as possible over full race distance. “This is the least symmetrical circuit on the calendar,” adds Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s motorcycle competitions chief. “The left-hand turns are a problem because they are so fast. The edge of the rear tyre takes the full load of that speed which is the w orst situation for a tyre manufacturer. Grip isn’t really a problem. The difficulty is making a tyre that has the right construction and compound to withstand very strong and very localized stresses.”



Michelin and Phillip Island.

Michelin brings a total of 600 tyres (400 rears and 200 fronts), wet and dry, for this race. Sizes are 19/67-420 (16.5 inch) for rear slicks, rain tyres and intermediates. Front tyre sizes are 12/60-420 (16.5 inch) tyres. Michelin’s on-site personnel includes one team manager and two tyre fitters.