Michelin crosses the water for a date with Silverstone

The MotoGP™ tyre manufacturer has everything prepared for racing at the demanding British Circuit

Michelin will make its first departure from mainland Europe since the American GP in April as it travels over the English Channel and heads to Silverstone for the Octo British Grand Prix and round 12 of the MotoGP™ World Championship.

The British Grand Prix is held on the longest and one of the fastest tracks on the calendar, the 18-corner layout over 5,900m is a true test for riders and manufacturers and one that will see tyres and machines pushed to the limit. The fast, flowing and technical nature of the layout through such famous turns as Woodcote, Luffield, Copse and Stowe make this a track that riders enjoy because they can use the full potential of their bikes. To give the racers the opportunity to get the performance they need on this medium-abrasive circuit Michelin will provide tyres aimed at getting the best drive, grip and braking stability for this demanding event. The MICHELIN Power Slick range will feature soft, medium and hard compound tyres for both the front and rear, with the front soft and all the rears having an asymmetrical design to cope with the 10-right-hand turns and 8-left. The right-side of the tyre will be a harder compound, with the softer shoulder on the left designed to warm-up quicker and give the riders the feel and confidence to put the power down on to the asphalt.

Silverstone is based in the rolling countryside of Northamptonshire in the heart of England. It is situated approximately 125km from the country’s capital London. Originally constructed as an air-base, Silverstone has been a motorsport venue for more than 60-years and in 1977 staged the first British motorcycle Grand Prix to be held on the mainland – previous to that it had been on the Isle of Man. The MotoGP championship returned to Silverstone in 2010 – after a 23-year break – and the track has been the home of the event since then. Its location makes it one of the most northerly races of the season – only Assen is further up the globe – and this position and the time of the year the race is staged, means that wet weather is always a threat. The MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will be available in extra soft and soft compounds for both the front and rear, all of them being symmetrical in design.

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Michelin will make its first venture of 2017 on to the Silverstone circuit during the morning of Friday 25th August for the first of two Free Practice sessions on that day. Two more practice periods will follow on the Saturday, ahead of the important Qualifying Practice in the afternoon to decide grid positions for the following day’s race. The Grand Prix schedule has a different look to it in Britain, as the 20-lap main event will be at the later time of 15.30hrs local time (16.30hrs CEST, 14.30hrs GMT) on Sunday 27th August rather than the usual 14.00hrs local time as at most other races.

Entertainment at Silverstone will start earlier in the week, with the traditional staging of ‘Day of Champions’ on Thursday 24th August in aid of ‘Two Wheels For Life’. This fantastic auction event raises much needed funds and has become an integral part of the British Grand Prix and one wholeheartedly supported by all the riders. Michelin will also be getting involved by donating a replica race tyre which will be signed by all the racers and then auctioned on stage for this important charity, which is intrinsically linked with MotoGP. For more details on the event visit www.twowheelsforlife.org.uk

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Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager: “Silverstone is one of the fastest tracks on the calendar and gives the riders one of the few opportunities to fully open-up a MotoGP bike. This puts special demands on the tyres and when it is added to the 10-right and 8-left corners it makes for a very technical circuit, which needs some special attention to produce a good lap. It’s also very open, with little elevation, so wind can be an issue and it can make the track surface quite cool, and as always, we have the threat of changeable weather in England, so we must be prepared for all eventualities, because it has also been known to be very hot at Silverstone at this time of the year. We believe our range of tyres will be ideally suited to the track’s layout, and its asphalt, and look forward to our first oversea trip since we went to America!”