Michelin ready for the new challenge of Sachsenring

Tyres will be put to the test on the technical track; with the French manufacturer also contending with an unknown new asphalt

Michelin is heading to Sachsenring in Germany for the GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, an event which signals the half-way point in the 2017 MotoGP™ calendar and another new challenge for the French tyre firm.

The 3,671m Sachsenring is the shortest circuit on the calendar and its layout with 10-left-hand turns covering the majority of the configuration, already makes it one of the most challenging tracks of the season. This year’s event will also have the added difficulty of a new surface for Michelin and the teams to contend with, after the track was resurfaced earlier this year. Unfortunately, due to noise restrictions at the circuit, it has not been possible to conduct a test there with MotoGP™ machinery, so the paddock is heading to Germany with little information as to what the asphalt is like.

The technical layout with fast and long left turns means a particular tyre is required to get the most from this demanding track. Michelin will bring front and rear asymmetric slick tyres in soft, medium and hard compounds to Sachsenring, which will feature a harder left-hand-side to cope with the stresses and attrition that side of the tyre goes through, whilst the right will be a softer compound to heat up quickly and give optimum performance through the track’s three right-hand turns.

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Situated in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany, the circuit staged its first road race in 1927. This was on a layout on public roads including the village of Hohenstein-Ernstthal and in 1937 the event was named ‘Sachsenring’. Racing continued on the public roads – despite stoppages for world conflicts and cancellations due to safety issues – until the early 1990’s when the last road-race was held. The latest incarnation of the Sachsenring circuit is a purpose-built racetrack that held its first motorcycle Grand Prix in 1998 and has staged the German round since then, making this the 20th running at the track. Weekend crowds of more than 200,000 people regularly head to this event and although it will never have figures from its prime in 1950 when 480,000 spectators turned up on race-day, it is still one of the most attended races of the year and a unique experience that is not matched anywhere else.

Last year’s event was a mixed affair with the race starting in wet conditions, but drying out as the race continued forcing riders to make a calculated decision when to change bikes from wet tyres to slicks to give them the best windows of performance. In the eventuality of inclement weather again, MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will be available in soft and medium compounds.

Preparation for Sunday’s 30-lap race will begin with two free practice sessions on the Friday, followed by another two free sessions on Saturday, before the qualifying takes place for the main event. The Sachsenring race is scheduled to get underway at 14.00hrs CEST (13.00hrs BST, 12.00hrs GMT/UTC) and will be the culmination of the first half of the season and a busy schedule which has seen four races in five weekends.

Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager: “Sachsenring is always a demanding circuit due to its unusual layout, and this year’s race will have the added challenge of a completely new surface. We have no data regarding the asphalt as it hasn’t been possible to test there due to the restrictions, so we are going a bit blind. We are sure we have the tyres to work well on the new layer and have prepared the compounds to the information we do have. The slick tyres will be asymmetric for the front and rear with a harder left-hand-side – as they were last year – this is to cope with the design of the track. The bikes spend a lot of time on the left on this track and Sachsenring needs a very special tyre, with a right that heats up quickly, to make sure the riders get good traction throughout the whole lap. It’s also a venue that can have some unsettled weather, as last year’s race showed where we had a wet start and then a drying track, so there were many types of tyres used in that race to get the best performance.”

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