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Category: Moto GP
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Michelin’s MotoGP™ debut at the Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, America has been totally dominated by Marc Marquez on a Honda as he secured his fourth successive victory at the Texan track.
Michelin brought new rear tyres to the American circuit following a decision after last weekend’s race to begin production on a brand new version in readiness for today’s race. The tyres began their build process on Monday in Clermont Ferrand, France and were then shipped to Houston in Texas, before finally arriving in separate batches at the track on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The new tyres had a stiffer construction with a softer compound, designed specifically for the Texan circuit, and built with a significant respect for safety to counter any incidents like the one encountered in Argentina last weekend, although the result of the analysis of Scott Redding’s tyre is not yet available.
Free Practice and qualifying went well with the new MICHELIN Power Slicks with all teams and riders adapting to the new rubber and dialling in the settings as practice continued, before Marquez secured his fourth pole position in-a-row at COTA on the Saturday afternoon. Today’s race was held in warm, but cloudy, conditions and as the lights changed to signal the start of the race in front of over 56,000 enthusiastic fans, Marquez led off the line, but was passed by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. The 2015 champion was unable to make the move permanent and his Yamaha was relegated to second as Marquez again took the lead – a position that he would not relinquish again as he stormed to back-to-back victories on Michelin tyres, the first rider to do so since Valentino Rossi in 2006.
Behind the dominant Marquez, Lorenzo rode a lonely race and was never really pressured as he took a comfortable second place, with Andrea Iannone in third on a Ducati to complete a podium of three different manufacturers. The variation in machines continued into fourth place after a race-long battle between Suzuki riders Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro, saw the former just edge out his team-mate. Sixth position and the honour of First Independent Team Rider went to Ducati’s Scott Redding, While Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro finished in seventh. Eighth and ninth positions went to Ducati, one ridden by Michele Pirro and the other by Hector Barbera respectively, whilst a solid ride from Stefan Bradl secured tenth for Aprilia and the fifth different brand in the top-10. Marquez’s victory takes him to the top of the championship classification after three-rounds, in front of Lorenzo and Yamaha’s Rossi – who unfortunately crashed on lap-three due to a clutch issue he suffered at the start of the race.
Michelin and the whole MotoGP paddock now heads back across the Atlantic ocean on its way to Europe as it moves to Jerez in Spain for round-four of the championship, which will be held on Sunday 24th April in the heart of Andalucía.
Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda:
“During this weekend we have all done a really good job together. I want to say this victory is not only for me and my team, but for my Michelin Technician, because he convinced me that the soft front tyre option was good for me and it would be the right option for my riding style and that really convinced me. With this choice I was able to do a great race and I am very happy with the result. Now we go to Europe, these are tracks that are very different to where we have already been and also Michelin has more experience on them – because the tracks are older – so we will try to work hard again when we get there.”
Nicolas Goubert - Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:
“What we really wanted to do here was to show that we could react in the correct way after the issue that Scott had in Argentina. We did exactly what we said we would do and brought some new tyres that were based on the extra tyre that we should have run in Argentina, but with compounds more suited to the track here. It was tight in the factory to get it done, but it worked and the tyres did a pretty good job, so we are pleased about that. Considering this is the first time that we have had these constructions on the race-track we are quite satisfied with the results.”
Piero Taramasso - Manager of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group:
“This has been quite a demanding week, because after Argentina we had to react quickly, so we had to build the tyre, ship it, get it through customs and then get it delivered to the track, so the logistics of that were not easy – but luckily everything went well. We got all the tyres in time so that the teams and the riders had time to test it properly and make the correct settings and then make the right tyre choice for the race. I really want to give a special mention to the Michelin technicians and fitters here at the track for their hard work this week, and especially the staff back in the factory who pushed so hard to make sure the tyres were made and sent here for us to use.”
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 Having followed up a third placed finish in the opening race of the Moto GP season in Qatar with victory in Argentina last time around, Marc Marquez is seemingly growing in confidence with his Honda team. The rider, who is unbeaten at the Circuit of Americas since joining Moto GP back in 2013, has set the fastest time in practice in Austin. With riders testing out new soft and medium Michelin tyres following previous issues with Scott Redding’s Pramac Ducati, it was Marquez who looked the most comfortable as he posted the fastest lap of the day in 2 minutes 04.953 seconds.
His closest challenge in Austin on Friday was world champion George Lorenzo who managed to close to within 0.252 seconds of his countryman. Marquez had earlier recovered from a crash in which he lost control on the final corner of the circuit, eventually regaining his composure in the afternoon session. The Spaniard was favourite for the championship at the start of the season, and early performances have done little to effect this, with bookmakers Betway offering him odds of as little as 1.66/1 on to claim glory come the end of the campaign.
Italian Andrea Iannone ended the day in third place in practice, however the Ducati rider a massive 0.617 seconds adrift of leader Marquez. Marquez certainly looks to be the man to beat this season, with his performances on his way to a dominant win in Argentina last time around having his nearest rivals worried. Having seen of early pressure from Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi in Argentina, Marquez was left to watch the carnage unfold behind him as the conditions led to collisions across the circuit. The two Ducati riders collided on the final lap, in a race that had already been shortened by twenty laps due to tyre concerns https://sports.betway.com/ win, lose or draw offer the best odds on motor racing around, with team mates Iannone and Dovizioso priced at 9/1 and 12/1 respectively to recover from events in Argentina with victory.
It remains to be seen who will pose the greatest threat to Marquez, who won the world championship in both 2013 and 2014. The Spaniard is one of only four riders to have won titles in three different categories, after successes in Moto2 and 125cc. The talented rider will certainly be difficult to stop this year, however the unpredictability of Moto GP means that nothing is ever certain.
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The latest MotoGP practice sessions on the Austin circuit promise a rather interesting race tomorrow. In fact, there are quite a few riders who will be contending for a position in the points, a compact group that includes Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl's Aprilia RS-GP machines.
The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini standard-bearers will start tomorrow from the sixth (Bradl, 16th) and seventh (Bautista, 19th) row on the grid after also demonstrating a greatly improved race pace. Something is still lacking on the flying lap, a condition that is definitely affected by the inexperience in the saddle of the new Aprilia prototype.
In view of the race, the weather factor is not to be underestimated. Today on the Texan track, the rain, although light, had an impact on a few of the cadet category sessions, whereas the MotoGP FP3, FP4 and qualifying sessions were held on a substantially dry track.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“This morning we did a very important test on the setup, trying to improve, but it didn't provide the results we had hoped for. So in the afternoon we made some less drastic changes in what we felt was the best direction and I tried using the hard rear tyre. All told, it didn't go badly, a lot will depend on the temperature we find for the race tomorrow. We need to improve acceleration, coming out of the corners the bike tends to become unstable and that costs us time. In qualifying I improved my time and I could have done even better, but unfortunately another rider got in the way. In any case, we know that we can improve a lot in the race. We'll see what the weather is like tomorrow and we'll do our best”.
STEFAN BRADL
“These were good qualifiers for me. My only disappointment is that I wasn't able to line up my best performance in the various sectors. On my flying lap I also had to overtake a rider and that cost me a few tenths in the straight stretch, but I'm satisfied anyway, especially because in the practice sessions we found some good solutions that give us a good pace even on used tyres. It will be an interesting race. On such a difficult track the RS-GP is performing well, so we are moving in the right direction. We still have a few things to try during the warmup session, especially the hard rear tyre option that we will evaluate”.
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MOTOGP - APRILIA HEADS TO TEXAS SEEKING CONFIRMATION
AFTER THE POSITIVE SIGNS IN THE FIRST TWO RACES, BRADL AND BAUTISTA ARE KEEN TO CONTINUE IMPROVING
In 2015 the Austin circuit in Texas had Aprilia taking its first championship point in their new MotoGP adventure. This year things are rather different. The new 2016 Aprilia RS-GP began its path of growth well and, despite being a brand new project, in the first two races of the season it demonstrated reliability and finished in the points (in Qatar) and twice in the top ten (in Argentina) with Bradl seventh and Bautista tenth across the wire.
This is an encouraging start for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini as they will now take on the COTA - Circuit of the Americas - seeking important confirmation.
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"We are coming from a race where we skilfully managed a complicated situation, finishing with an encouraging overall result that could have been even better. In any case, this does not distract us from our main objective which, in this first part of the season, is still to develop and to get in as many kilometres as possible. In Texas we will continue to follow our testing schedule. We have identified a few good solutions, especially where electronics are concerned, but we have also found a few factors that limit our performance where we need work, in particular a vibration at the rear that keeps us from being 100% incisive. The track in Texas is a complex one that puts various characteristics of the bike to the test, so it is a good test bench for us".
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"Despite some difficult conditions, in Argentina we brought home a positive result. Let's not forget that the new RS-GP has barely a thousand kilometres behind it and obviously there is still a lot that needs to be developed. The project started off well and finishing the race with both bikes in Argentina as a team along with other riders allowed us to collect important information and see more clearly which direction to take. Now we are preparing for the Austin round that will finish out the first phase of the championship, with three non-European races that are traditionally the toughest".
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We are headed to a track that is new for us, very different than Qatar and Argentina. There are a lot of tight turns, a lot of acceleration points, a long straight stretch and a few changes in slope. It is a rather complete track where we'll be able to see how the new Aprilia reacts. We are in a good period where performance in the last race was positive, especially in the first part of the race where I was competitive against much more experienced bikes. The pace we demonstrated makes us confident, although we are still not at 100%. Our goal is still to get as many laps in as possible in order to gather information and get to know the new bike better. It would also be nice to earn a few more important points before heading back to Europe”.
STEFAN BRADL
“The result at Termas gives us great motivation. Austin is completely different. The layout of the track is quite demanding in terms of setup. As always, we will try to improve session after session. I must say that I like the track and that I've had good results in Texas before. We'll see how my Aprilia performs here. For us every race is a début and it gives us the chance to discover knew characteristics of the 2016 bike. The growth trend is encouraging and we need to keep going in this direction”.
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Michelin will be heading to the Losail International Circuit for its return to MotoGP™ as the series kicks off under the floodlights at the Qatari track on Sunday 20th March.
Following three informative pre-season tests – including one in Qatar – Michelin has analysed all the data to make its decision as to the best tyres to take to the 5,380km circuit. The Losail circuit is situated in a rocky, desert location and as such the track can be very abrasive at times due to the sand that is blown off the surrounding area. This allied to the usually cooler temperatures that are experienced as the sun sets, all add to the challenges that supplying the optimum tyres for such conditions will present to the French company. The Qatar race will see the introduction of 17” tyres and with a need to have a consistent grip and good durability, Michelin will take three front and two rear tyres to Losail for the race. The soft Power Slick – which will be identified by the white band - the medium Power Slick – which will not feature a coloured band for identification – and the hard Power Slick – yellow band - for the front. Along with the asymmetric soft Power Slick – white band - and the asymmetric medium Power Slick – no band – for the rear. There will be no Michelin Power Rain or Power Inter tyres in use as the riders will not run in wet or changeable conditions under the lights.
Built in less than a year and completed in 2004, the Losail International Circuit is located on the outskirts of Doha – Qatar’s capital city – and has been a regular on the MotoGP calendar since its completion. The first night race was held in 2008 and is staged beneath over 3,000 individual light sources on more than 1,000 structures, all powered by huge generators. This impressive array of lighting is designed to not only light the track, but deflect light away from the surface and then redirect it back, all aimed at avoiding glare from blinding the riders and giving them ideal visual awareness.
Track action at Losail begins on Thursday 17th March when the MotoGP stars will take to the circuit for the first free practice session. Two further free sessions will be held on Friday to decide which riders progress through to which qualifying session – held on Saturday evening. The inaugural race of 2016, and Michelin’s re-introduction in to the exciting arena of MotoGP, will take place at 21.00hrs local time (18.00hrs GMT, 17.00hrs CET) on Sunday 20th March, when the world’s best two-wheel racers will do battle over 22-laps of the challenging Losail circuit.
The Qatar race weekend will also see a Michelin press conference which will be staged at the circuit on Saturday 19th March, with Director of Michelin Motorsport. Pascal Couasnon in attendance, along with Michelin’s Head of Two-Wheel Motorsport Group Nicolas Goubert and the Manager of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group Piero Taramasso, when the three will lay-out Michelin’s plans for the forthcoming season and answers any questions from the assembled audience.
Nicolas Goubert - Head of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group:
“We are looking forward to the first race, because we have been getting ready for it for over a year. It has been a lot of hard work to get to this position and we are now prepared for competitive action. We are quite confident about heading to Qatar, because we learnt a lot during the test sessions that we had two weeks before the race. The riders were satisfied with the improvements we have made from the beginning of the season, and there was a positive feeling at the end of the test. Having a race at night gives extra issues, where we can encounter lower temperatures and the added difficulty of dew on the surface, plus the wind blast blowing sand on the track, making it quite abrasive and giving it a sandpaper effect, which impacts on tyre wear. Other than that the Losail track is not the most demanding for tyres in general, the toughest part lies between turns 10 and 14, where riders contend with a double left (10 and 11) and a triple right (12, 13 and 14), which is quite a difficult combination, but we have worked hard to give the riders the best tyres for this circuit and we are now excited to get into competitive action.”
Piero Taramasso – Manager of Michelin MotoGP Programme:
“We are all motivated to get back to Qatar and the first round, especially with it being Michelin’s return and the special atmosphere of this night race. We have been preparing for over a year-and-a-half and have worked closely with the teams, the riders and Dorna to provide the best tyres in readiness for the first race. Logistics are very important, because the Qatar event is not the easiest one to manage and all our consignments of tyres and equipment has to be shipped in containers, but we have prepared for that and we’ll be ready for the first race. We are really looking forward to getting back into MotoGP action.”
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