More 'new technology' Michelins expected in 2019

Some new tyre compounds, creating using Michelin’s latest technology, face one final test before being introduced for the 2019 MotoGP season.

The two rears performed admirably during the opening test of the year at Sepang and, should the situation be repeated at the upcoming Qatar test, they will be phased in during the early part of the season alongside a new front compound (based on existing technology).

“We came here with some new solutions, one front compound, in between soft and medium, and the two rear compounds, one soft and one medium,” said Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager Piero Taramasso.

“So far the results are very good, so if we re-confirm those results in the Qatar test, we will introduce these three new compounds for the [2019] season.

“The plan is to introduce the front compound starting from Qatar. For the rear compounds, we may start to use that from Jerez.”

Although the new soft rear was thought to be quicker, it was the standard version that topped the timesheets courtesy of a new all-time unofficial lap record by Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci.

However the Italian may well have gone faster had his test not ended prematurely due to a fall, costing him the chance to use the new soft rear he had ‘saved in the garage’.

Either way, outright performance is only one of the attributes of the ‘new technology’, which Taramasso described as meaning “a different way to mix the components.”

He added: “It is technology we also use for cars. So it works for both. For sure it helps to have information from different kinds of competitions.

“We’ve already applied this new technology [in MotoGP] last year with one soft compound and it gave us a much larger working ‘window’ – different tracks, different weather,” he said.

“So we applied that same technology to these other compounds.”

Michelin recorded a peak track temperature in pit lane of 59-degrees during the test, but Taramasso is confident the new tyres will work just as well in cool conditions.

“We need to check again in different tracks with different temperatures. But usually, from our experience, when they work here [at Sepang] – especially the soft compound – then they still work in the same way in cooler conditions.”

With the likes of Petrucci and Valentino Rossi stressing the importance of trying to save the tyre during races, an added bonus of the new compounds is that they have proven to be more consistent over long distances.

“You know, I hope with this technology we will improve the grip, improve the ‘window’ working range, but also the consistency,” Taramasso said. “So I hope that will be one step to help riders not to have to save the tyre [in a race].

“Another way is [for the riders] not to go with an aggressive tyre choice.

“Because many times they complain about the tyre losing grip and lap time increasing, but because they took the soft specification. If they went with the medium or the hard, for sure they would not have experienced this problem.”

The Qatar test takes place from February 23-25.