Michelin has prepared for the return of MotoGP™ to the Alcañiz circuit
• MotoGP returns to the large Motorland Aragón complex for the first time since September 2022.
• The circuit has been completely resurfaced, leading Michelin and its partners to start from scratch, as the data collected so far has become obsolete.
• Michelin Motorsport brings its new MotoGP tyres to Aragón, with three rear options instead of two to better understand the characteristics of the new asphalt.
The MotoGP FIM World Championship returns to the Circuito de Alcañiz, in the heart of the large Motorland Aragon complex, for the first time since 2022. Opened in 2009, it hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix for the first time in 2010, and having become a regular venue for MotoGP, Motorland Aragón even hosted two MotoGP races in 2020 due to the pandemic that disrupted the calendar. In 2023, the 5.077 km circuit, taken in an anti-clockwise direction with 10 left turns, 7 right turns, and two straights, (the longest of which is 968 m) underwent major renovation work. All of its asphalt has been replaced, and it is now a 100% new track that the Michelin Motorsport teams and their partners will discover for the first time.
“Controlling wear and heat will be the two main challenges of the weekend,” says Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s two-wheel competition manager. “Given the expected conditions, we have chosen fairly hard rubber compounds from our new ranges, as track temperature here could reach 50°C. Two years ago the race took place on 18 September, with slightly less complex weather, and also on a track whose surface we knew very well. Given the new asphalt, the configuration of the circuit and the significant constraints that this track exerts, both for the front and rear tyres, we are now starting from scratch with new rubber. We know that a new surface generates more wear on the rear tyres, but also significant thermal variations. However, the specific characteristics will depend on the grain size of the new surface. If it is ‘open’ the ground will be very abrasive, and if it is closed (smooth), we will have to deal with rapid temperature increases. The first tests will be very important for the set-up of the bikes, and the riders will have to deal with multiple combinations, but we will be there to guide them in their choices. As always, we will bring three compounds for the front, but three, instead of the usual two, for the rear.”
For the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragón, Michelin Motorsport will provide its partners with symmetrical Soft, Medium and Hard rubber compounds for the front. At the rear, the riders will be able to choose between a Soft tyre with a rubber compound oriented towards firmness, a Medium option using the same philosophy, and a Hard tyre dedicated to high temperatures. The rear tyres will be asymmetric, with the left shoulder reinforced, to respond to the greater number of turns on this side.
In case of rain, Michelin will offer its MICHELIN Power Rain tyres in Soft and Medium compounds, for both the front and rear. The rears also being asymmetric, like their MICHELIN Power slick counterparts.
In 2022, it was Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) who won the Grand Prix, just 0.042 seconds ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia racing) finishing in third.
This year, the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragón race weekend will start on Friday 30 August with Free Practice 1 from 10:45 to 11:30. Then a second session will take place from 15:00 to 16:00, allowing the 10 fastest riders to directly access the second phase of qualifying (Q2). After a final free practice session on Saturday morning from 10:10 to 10:40, Q1 will allow two additional riders to progress to Q2 in order to determine, at the end of Q2, the starting grid for the weekend. The start of the 11 lap Sprint race – the first ever in Aragon – will be on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and the start of the 23 lap Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday 1 September at 2:00 p.m.
About Michelin
Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world.
Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare.
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