Why the Motegi tyre drama delivers a lesson MotoGP teams cannot ignore
The strong performance of the hard rear tyre used in the Japanese Grand Prix, which the MotoGP teams only tried for the first time in the Sunday warm-up, has provided them with a lesson they would do well to heed
When Michelin released the tyre options for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, three choices were presented for dry conditions: soft, medium, and hard compounds. The stiffer carcass hard compound featured a layer with the same composition as the soft version. However, none of the MotoGP teams wanted to use the hard tyre, as they had experienced issues with similar Michelin tyres in the past.
During the warm-up session, which was extended from 10 to 20 minutes after the sprint, the teams finally decided to give the hard tyre a try. The decision proved to be a wise one, as the hard rubber performed exceptionally well. As a result, all the teams opted for the medium front and hard rear combination for the main race. Marc Marquez emerged victorious, finishing 37 seconds ahead of Jorge Martín, who had finished with his soft rear tyre torn open.
Enea Bastianini also set four consecutive fastest laps in the closing stages of the race. Team officials admitted that they had made a mistake by not trying the hard tyre earlier in the weekend. Michelin's MotoGP boss, Piero Taramasso, acknowledged that the teams had made a poor decision and that it was a valuable lesson for future races.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
