MAGTM

A spectacularseason awaits

interviewPierotaramasso

michelin MotoGP2018

contents

3 - Exciting times ahead!

4 - New season, new rules

5 - THE 2018 rookies

6 - Michelin in Moto E

7/8 - 3 decades of dedication

9 - the 19th track

10 - marquez/Isacco

11/12/13 - winter testing

14 - Zarco : “breakingdown barriers”

15 - Calendar & classification

Whichever way you look at it, the 2018 MotoGPTM season looks sure to be a thriller. The winter tests have justconcluded at Losail in Qatar and, if the ultra-close nature of the lap times is anything to go by, we can look forwardto some superb battles at the year’s 19 grands prix. Early indications suggest races will be decided by meretenths-of-a-second, if not hundredths...

Too close to call!

In 2018, no fewer than seven of theraces will be reduced in distance, to en-sure that all race weekend schedulesrun to the same timetable to facilitatetelevision broadcasts. The grands prix atAustin, Le Mans, Catalunya, Brno andMisano will duly be shortened by onelap, Jerez by two and Valencia three.With a 19th round having now beenadded to the calendar, the number oftest days officially available to premierclass teams has similarly been revised.All full-season riders will be free to teston the Monday immediately after thegrands prix in Spain, Catalunya and theCzech Republic, but only five other pri-vate test days are permitted, two ofwhich must be at circuits already usedin the championship. MotoGPTM’s newtechnical regulations also forbid Miche-lin from introducing any new tyres du-ring the course of the season that donot feature on the list that the manu-facturer must supply to the series pro-moter ahead of the curtain-raisingGrand Prix of Qatar.

Newregulations

Off-season changes

Morbidelli, Lüthi, Nakagami, Simeon and Syahrin – introducing the 5 riderswho will fight it out for the honour of being MotoGPTM’s best rookie this year.Morbidelli and Lüthi will team up at Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS, Nakagamiis set to compete for LCR Honda, Simeon will replace Loris Baz at Avintia andSyahrin has hit the jackpot with a plum seat at Tech 3. The latter will takeover from the unfortunate Folger who has taken the decision to put his ca-reer on hold for health reasons. 3 of the new boys will be riding Hondas,with one on a Ducati and the other a Yamaha. Each of them is aware that

repeating Zarco’s outstanding achievements from last year will be a tall orderindeed, and reigning Moto2 Champion Morbidelli is keeping his expectationsfirmly in-check. “In Italy, everybody is hoping I can get off to the same kindof start in MotoGPTM as Zarco did,” he explains, “but it’s important to keepin mind that what Johann accomplished last season was exceptional. Alongwith Marc Márquez – and perhaps Casey Stoner in 2006 – he is one of thevery few riders to have truly stood out on his top-flight debut.”

rookies

xavier simeonBELgian

franco morbidelliitalian

TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI japanese

Stepping into the spotlight

Tom LühTISwiss

Hafizh Syahrinmalaysian

michelin in moto e

partnership

In 2019, races featuring electric motorbikeswill form part of GP weekends. The newFIM MotoE World Cup will not be a rivalchampionship to MotoGPTM, but rather willrun alongside the premier class, Moto2 andMoto3 as a new support series, under theexpert stewardship of its Executive Direc-tor, Nicolas Goubert. “Whilst they enjoythe noise, speed and on-track battles, thesport’s fans are equally aware that techno-logy is constantly changing and movingon,” says the Frenchman. “We need to en-sure we retain that excitement and closeracing, and that the bikes are still capableof achieving respectable speeds – but elec-tric road-going motorbikes are already rea-ching in excess of 250kph. The key will beto maintain high cornering speeds – andthe lean angles that go with them.” Miche-lin has been tasked with supplying tyresfor these new electric racing bikes, built byItalian manufacturer Energica. “The tyreswill be noticeably different to those al-ready used in MotoGPTM,” reveals Piero Ta-ramasso. “This is due to the bikes’ lowerpower and significantly higher weight, al-lied to the fact that, initially at least, theraces will only be around 10 laps long.”

This year, Piero Taramasso will ce-lebrate three decades as a mem-ber of the Michelin family. It is ananniversary that the 51-year-oldItalian – now the brand’s two-wheeled motorsport manager –intends to mark in style. “Thirtyyears is quite an achievement,”proudly acknowledges the manwhose commendable work ethicand steely commitment to thecause have enabled him to climbright the way up the Michelin lad-der. After starting out in the qua-lity control department of thecompany’s plant in Cuneo (Pied-mont) in 1989, Piero rapidly assu-med a test-rider role. “In 1992,I moved to Clermont-Ferrand totest original equipment tyres forItalian touring cars” he recalls.

“I spent six years at Ladoux follo-wed by four at Michelin’s testingfacility in Greenville, whereI continued to work as a test-rider– this time for European carma-kers with a base in the UnitedStates, including the likes ofPorsche, Mercedes and BMW.”

Three decades of dedication

Piero Taramasso

In 2001, Piero returned to Clermont-Ferrand, where he joined Michelin’smotorsport division in the world ofFormula 1. “I was a technical advi-sor to the Toyota, BMW and Sauberteams,” he explains. Five yearslater, when the French firm with-drew from F1, Piero transferred tothe sales department. He was therefor just a year-and-a-half beforereturning to the paddock in 2008 –only this time, the Italian tradedfour wheels for two. “It wasMichelin’s final season in MotoGPTM.A year later, I was working inendurance racing and nationalchampionships in Italy and Spain.”His abilities and dedication earnedhim promotion in 2011 to the headof Michelin’s Off-Road division. The following year, he was similarlyentrusted with managing thebrand’s circuit racing activities.As Nicolas Goubert’s right-handman, Piero relentlessly added newstrings to his bow and, in his 30thyear with the brand in 2018, he willspearhead Michelin’s two-wheeledmotorsport programme.

Piero Taramasso

one circuit, one challenge

Buriram joins the MotoGPTM schedule in 2018 to make it 19different circuits on the calendar. In February, riders andtechnicians had their first opportunity to discover the Thaitrack. As a rule, Michelin takes around 1,000 tyres to 3 daytests but, on this occasion, the company sent 2,000 tyresfrom its French headquarters. “It was important to be pre-pared for even the smallest of surprises,” reasons Piero Ta-ramasso. “That is why we sent a wider variety ofspecifications than usual.” The allocation for the raceweekend in October is still to be finalised, but Michelin’stechnicians did their homework when it came to determi-ning which tyres to use at the test. “When we work ontyres for a new circuit, we begin by analysing the track sur-face,” explains Piero. “We then try to understand the im-pact this will have on the tyre’s performance in terms of

its temperature and wear rate. We also look at the confi-guration of the circuit to calculate speeds and simulate thestresses on the tyres. In this case, we were additionallyable to take advantage of external data, since we supplytyres to cars in the GT500 class of the Asia-based Super GTchampionship.” By the end of the 3 days, the majority ofriders were satisfied – even Rossi, who had previously vi-sited Buriram 2 years ago in a promotional capacity andhad scarcely hidden his dislike for the circuit layout. “Al-though it is not particularly demanding, it does remind mea little of the track in Argentina,” remarked the Italian,“and it is reasonably entertaining to ride.” If the ultra-closelap times from the test are any gauge, the inaugural Thai-land GP looks set to keep fans right on the edge of theirseats, too...

buriram

isacco marquez

Patrick Isacco retired on the eve of the 2018 MotoGPTM campaign following 35 years of good and loyal service to Michelin Motorsport. The Frenchmanreveals that he will take with him a lasting memory of his final two seasons spent alongside Marc Márquez. “He is an exceptionally talented rider whogives his all in every situation and has a real ‘can-do’ attitude,” states the technician. “Even if he tends to use stiffer tyre compounds than the majorityof his rivals, Marc is always prepared to try out alternative solutions. Analytically, he is extremely switched-on and very open to new ideas. Unlike someother riders, he is not afraid to venture outside of his comfort zone. He is also an excellent listener who likes to hear the opinions of those he is workingwith – the consummate team player.”With no fewer than four world titles to his credit from just 5 seasons in MotoGPTM, Márquez has ably proven thathis approach is a successful one. “Along with Doohan and Rossi, Marc is one of three riders that left a real footprint on my career,” Patrick concludes.

one rider, one technician

9 days spread across 3 circuitsallowed riders and teams toprepare themselves as bestthey can for a new seasonthat looks set to be as thril-ling as it is fiercely-disputed.

“The overview is very positive,” af-firms Piero Taramasso. “We enjoyedgood weather, which enabled us toassess the evolutions that we hadprepared for these winter tests.”The sport’s technical regulations nolonger allow Michelin to roll outnew specifications during the sea-son and, with all of the MotoGPTM

teams requesting that the onus beplaced on stability to avoid the tyresunduly impacting upon chassis set-tings, the French manufacturer’s de-velopers focused their work onformulating new rubber com-pounds. “At Sepang, we trialled twonew front compounds” adds Piero.“These tyres – at the medium/hardend of the spectrum – incorporaterubber compounds produced usingnew technologies and are designedto cope with particularly fast, de-manding and abrasive circuits. Theresults were very promising, and we

sepang, buriram, losail

winter testing summary

X.simeon

F.morbidelli

T.NAKAGAMI

sepang, buriram, losail

will offer these specifications to ridersfor the opening GP of the season at Lo-sail, Termas de Río Hondo and Austin,where the tyres are placed underconsiderable stress. We similarly triedout a number of solutions for the rear,which generated encouraging feed-back from the riders. Judging by thecloseness of lap times, we are shapingup for a thrilling season ahead.” Im-pressive form in both Malaysia andThailand has installed Márquez as theearly favourite to successfully defendhis crown aboard his Honda. Could thesix-time world champion even go sofar as to replicate his astonishing achie-vements from 2014, when he won allthe first 10 races? “The situation is verydifferent now,” he cautions. “The levelof competition is much higher now.”Indeed, both Ducati and Yamaha haveevery intention of making life as diffi-cult as possible for the precociously ta-lented Spaniard. Watch this space...

Team Suzuki Ecstar finished 2017in fine form and has maintainedthat positive momentum during

pre-season testing.

losail - Cumul des 3 jours

1 - Johann ZARCO (Yamaha) ..........1'54.029

2 - Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) ......1'54.276

3 - Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Ducati) .....1'54.331

4 - Cal CRUTCHLOW (Honda) .........1'54.457

5 - Maverick VIÑALES (Yamaha) ....1'54.471

6 - Andrea iannone (Suzuki) .......1'54.586

7 - Marc marquez (honda) ..........1'54.591

8 - Alex Rins (Suzuki) ..................1'54.650

9 - danilo petrucci (Ducati) ........1'54.659

10 - Jorge LORENZO (Ducati) ........1'54.692

buriram - Cumul des 3 jours

1 - Dani PEDROSA (Honda) ...........1'29.781

2 - Johann ZARCO (Yamaha) .......1'29.867

3 - Marc marquez (honda) ........1'29.969

4 - Cal CRUTCHLOW (Honda) .......1'30.064

5 - Alex Rins (Suzuki) .................1'30.178

6 - jack miller (Ducati).. ...........1'30.185

7 - Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Ducati) ...1'30.192

8 - Maverick VIÑALES (Yamaha) ..1'30.274

9 - danilo petrucci (Ducati) ......1'30.367

10 - takaaki nakagami (HONDA) ..1'30.456

sepang - Cumul des 3 jours

1 - Jorge LORENZO (Ducati) .........1'58.830

2 - Dani PEDROSA (Honda) ...........1'59.009

3 - Cal CRUTCHLOW (Honda) .......1'59.052

4 - Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Ducati) ...1'59.169

5 - jack miller (Ducati).. ...........1'59.346

6 - Alex Rins (Suzuki) ................1'59.348

7 - Maverick VIÑALES (Yamaha)...1'59.355

8 - Marc marquez (honda) .......1'59.382

9 - Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) ...1'59.390

10 - Johann ZARCO (Yamaha) .....1'59.511

sepang, buriram, losail

How to make rain in the Qatari desert!

one rider, michelin tyresJohann Zarco recalls that he struggledat certain circuits during his time inMoto2. “The toughest ones for mewere Phillip Island and Valencia,” re-veals the Tech3 rider. “Neither hasmany right-handers, and the weatheris often cold when those two grandsprix take place. I lacked confidence andI found it difficult to overcome thathurdle. My graduation to MotoGPTM

and introduction to Michelin tyres werekey to breaking down those barriers.”In evidence of that assertion, theFrenchman fought for victory in boththese races last season. “With asymme-trical tyres, I discovered a whole newworld of grip and learnt that I could at-tack left-hand corners just as hard asright-handers. When you are compe-ting on two wheels, having confidencein the front tyre is vital. The slightesthesitation can result in tenths-of-a-se-cond lost and, at such a high level, thatcan prove costly indeed.” Out of all theMotoGPTM rookies over the past twoyears, Zarco is unquestionably the onethat has best adapted to the specificcharacteristics of Michelin’s tyres. “Jo-hann has a very smooth style on thebike, which allows him to get the verybest out of even the softest-compoundtyres,” explains his crew chief, GuyCoulon. “He is capable of adjusting hisriding to preserve his tyres”.

“Breaking downbarriers”

johannzarco

2017 standings

1 - Marquez (Honda)..............

2 - dovizioso (Ducati).............

3 - Vińales (Yamaha)..............

4 - Pedrosa (Honda)...............

5 - Rossi (Yamaha)..................

6 - Zarco (YAMAHA).................

7 - lorenzo (ducati)..................

298

261

230

210

208

174

137

calendar - classification

Date Grand Prix circuit

pre-season sepang, buriram, losail1 18/03 Qatar Losail International2 08/04 Argentina Termas de Río Hondo3 22/04 usa Circuit Of The Americas4 06/05 Spain Circuito de Jerez5 20/05 France Le Mans6 03/06 Italy Mugello7 17/06 Catalunya barcelona-Catalunya8 01/07 Netherlands TT circuit Assen9 15/07 Germany Sachsenring10 05/08 CZECH REPUBLIC automotodrom Brno11 12/08 austria Red-bull ring12 26/08 GREAT BRITAIN Silverstone13 09/09 San Marino Misano14 23/09 Aragón MotorLand Aragón15 07/10 Thailand Chang international16 21/10 Japan Twin Ring Motegi17 28/10 Australia Phillip Island18 04/11 Malaysia Sepang International19 18/11 Valencia circuito ricardo tormo

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