Preview – Monster Energy British Grand Prix 2021 R12

2021-08-23 08:14
Michelin at the Home of British Motor Racing

Following the two back-to-back races in Austria, the Michelin Motorsport team along with the rest of the MotoGP™ paddock will head outside mainland Europe for the second time this season, on their way to the Monster Energy British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Set in the picturesque British countryside south of Birmingham between the Northamptonshire towns of Towcester and Brackley, Silverstone was first used for racing in September 1947 when a group of friends held an impromptu race there. The 5.9km (3.666 miles) circuit is the longest, and one of the fastest on the calendar.

Due to the pandemic the 2020 race was cancelled, so this will be only the second visit to the circuit with its new asphalt since it was completely resurfaced in 2019, and it will be held in front of a very welcome full house of spectators following the recent easing of Covid restrictions in England.

All MotoGP records were set in 2019 and currently Marc Marquez holds both the race lap record of 1’59.936 and the all-time lap record of 1’58.168. However, the top speed record of 333.3km/h was set by Cal Crutchlow.

The tyre allocation for the race will comprise Soft, Medium and Hard compound MICHELIN Power Slicks for both the front and rear. All of the front options will be symmetric, while the rears will be asymmetric with a harder right-hand-side to cope with the 10 corners that travel in that direction. However, with 8 left turns the layout of the circuit almost symmetric, but as there is more stress put on the right side of the tyre the harder rubber is needed there to give riders the optimum performance.

As is the case with British summers, wet weather can be expected at any time, so a range of MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will be available during the weekend. The allocation will feature symmetric Soft and Medium front tyres, with asymmetric Soft and Medium rears with the harder right-hand-side like their slick counterparts.

Speaking about the forthcoming British GP, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two Wheel Manager, said: “After the cancellation of the Silverstone race last year I’m looking forward to this year’s race, as is the rest of the Michelin team. This is such an iconic circuit, with a great history, so it is always good to come and watch the riders do battle in the tyre tracks of so many great racers.

From a technical perspective the circuit is not an easy one due to the mix of high speeds on the straights and the very fast corners. With this in mind, our designers have worked hard to create tyres that can resist the heat generated by the high speeds, and provide the considerable stability, grip and agility needed to handle the fast direction changes demanded by the riders.”

The weekend’s track action will start on Friday 27th August with Free Practice sessions 1 and 2, followed on Saturday by Free Practice sessions 3 and 4, and Qualifying 1 and 2. Following morning Warm Up on Sunday, the riders will take their places on the grid for the start of the 20-lap race at 13:00 UK-time.



Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 123,600 employees and operates 71 tire production facilities which together produced around 170 million tires in 2020. (www.michelin.com)

Source: Michelin Motorsport

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