The Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon signals the final leg of MotoGP™’s summer European tour as Round 14 of this season's World Championship beckons for Michelin.
A state-of-the-art venue, the MotorLand Aragon circuit was opened in 2009 and hosted its first MotoGP™ race in 2010, continuing the rich local heritage of racing which had seen years of exciting street races in nearby Alcañiz, a town that hosted racing events between 1963 and 2003.
With a long straight, fast sweeping bends and tight hairpins, MotorLand provides a stern test on the tyres. This weekend, Michelin’s front soft, medium and hard compounds will be symmetrical in design, while the rears – also in soft, medium and hard – will feature an asymmetrical design. On the rear, the left-hand side of the tyre will feature a harder rubber due to the added stress that part of the tyre will go through on the circuit’s 5.078km anti-clockwise layout.
A region susceptible to thunderstorms and rain, just like 2014’s race, Michelin will be prepped and ready if the heavens open with soft and medium rain tyres. Likewise to the slicks, the front will be symmetrical, whereas the rears will have an asymmetrical design.
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.”