Michelin’s MotoGP crew swaps the cool, breeziness of Phillip Island for the sweltering tropical heat of Sepang for the penultimate race of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. Michelin performed well at Phillip Island, with Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) scoring a superb podium result and all six Michelin men inside the top nine finishers. Hayden is currently sixth overall in the points standings, just behind fellow Michelin riders Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) and just in front of Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin). Sepang is one of the most challenging events of the MotoGP season, with riders, motorcycles and tires pushed to the limit by the intense weather conditions, with temperatures sometimes edging towards 55 degrees and humidity at up to 80 percent. The circuit also demands much from riders and their machinery, with a combination of wide, sweeping corners and heavy braking. Sepang’s testing layout makes it MotoGP’s most popular off-season test venue, with some teams visiting the track several times during the sport’s winter season. MICHELIN AND THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OF SEPANG “After Phillip Island, which is the toughest circuit for tires, Sepang is another big challenge for the tire companies,” says Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “But conditions are very different from those we experience in Australia, with much higher ambient and track temperatures. At Phillip Island we had to contend with a track temperature between 22 and 35 degrees (72 to 95 F); at Sepang it can be anything between 40 and 55 degrees (104 to 131 F), which makes it very tough for the tires. The layout of the Sepang circuit puts less stress into the tires than Phillip Island, which puts so much heat into the tires. In Malaysia it is the heat that demands so much from the tires. “We expect the asphalt to be less demanding than it was last year, when the whole track had been resurfaced, because Sepang is used a lot for racing, testing and other activities. Riders use similar rear tire constructions as they used at Phillip Island, with different compounds adapted to suit these special conditions. Edge grip and traction are very important at Sepang, with quite a few long corners. The tires need to provide consistent performance through these corners during the race. “The front tire definitely gets more stress at Sepang than it does at Phillip Island, with a lot of heavy braking from high speeds, so riders need a stiffer construction front tire for this race, something like what they use at Motegi and Shanghai, which also feature lots of very heavy braking.” Recent winners of the Sepang GP 2007 Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 43:04.405 2006 Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:07.829 2005 Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 43:27.523 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:29.146 2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 43:41.457 2002 Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 44:01.592 2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:46.652 2000 Kenny Roberts (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin) 31:58.102 (race stopped early due to rain) 1999 Kenny Roberts (Suzuki Grand Prix Team RGV500-Michelin), 44:56.033 Michelin’s 2008 MotoGP riders Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) SEPANG DATA Lap record: Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 2:02.108, 163.566km/h (2007) Pole position 2007: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin), 2:01.877