Michelin is crossing the Spanish border again as the MotoGP™ series heads to MotorLand Aragón for round 14 of the championship and the 11th and final leg of the summer European tour.
The Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón is the third of four races held on the Iberian Peninsula – Jerez, Barcelona and Valencia being the other three – but the rich tapestry of Spain means each event takes on an individual feel making them appear as though they are in different countries. The MotorLand Aragón circuit is situated in the desert, rocky terrain of the Teruel Province and close to the town of Alcañiz. Known throughout Spain as a region that has very hot and dry summers, the 5,078m circuit always provides a stringent test on tyres, so the range of MICHELIN Power Slicks have been prepared to meet those demands. The front selection in soft, medium and hard will all be symmetric in design, whilst the rears – also in soft, medium and hard – will feature an asymmetric finish with a harder left-hand shoulder to manage the 10 left corners throughout the track’s anti-clockwise layout, 3 more than go in a right direction.
The technical layout of the track with its long straight of almost one-kilometre and varying corners that feature fast, flowing turns and tight hairpins, all go to make this a circuit that is a challenge in fine weather, but one that also needs special attention during the cooler mornings which can be faced at such an exposed location. There is also a threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms sweeping across the countryside and affecting proceedings, if this happens then the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres in soft and medium compounds for both the front and rear will be available. The front will feature a symmetric design with the rears having an asymmetric finish and a harder left shoulder like their slick counterparts.
Michelin and the MotoGP field take to the track on the morning of Friday 21st September for the first of two Free Practice sessions that will be held that day. Two more practices will follow on Saturday, before Qualifying takes place in the afternoon to decide grid position for the race. Sunday’s main event will be over 23-laps and will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (14.00hrs CEST, 13.00hrs BST, 12.00UTC) on Sunday 23th September.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“We had some very mixed weather at Aragón last year, which seems to have been the case for the last few races, so we are hoping for more consistent conditions this weekend. The track is very technical and last year we saw all six compounds used in the race – as was the case last time out in Misano – and that is the same target we have for here this season. It is always Michelin’s intention to supply tyres that can be used by all riders, teams and manufacturers to give them optimum performance at every race and this is something that is very important for us. We aimed to create a competition environment within a single make series and we believe we have done that, and it makes it a real challenge for all the riders at the races to make the best and most informed choice, which in-turn has led to more exciting and close racing.”
