Preview – Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia 2022 R192022-10-20 06:48The Michelin Motorsport team and the MotoGP™ paddock will bring to a close their Asia Pacific tour this weekend as the Sepang International Circuit hosts the final race of four fly-aways, and the penultimate GP of the season, at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia. Malaysia also signals the final race in a busy five-week period, which in addition has seen races in Japan, Thailand and Australia. With a mix of circuit layouts, temperatures and weather conditions over the three previous races, the Michelin team is ready for the conditions at the Malaysian circuit, as it is a track which requires technical performance, as well as needing to cope with the meteorological demands that can be faced there. Specifically built for speed and exciting racing, the Sepang International Circuit is one of the world’s best. The layout of the 5,543m (3.44 miles) track features five left- and ten right-hand turns, combined with two long straights – the longest of which is 920m (3,018 ft) – elevation changes and an abrasive surface where track temperatures are regularly above 50°C. This technical circuit, combined with the high ambient temperatures and humidity, places huge demands on riders, bikes and tyres alike. Due to its demanding nature, Sepang has become a regular venue for pre-season testing, and with such in-depth knowledge, Michelin’s Motorsport team knows what to expect during a race weekend here. The Sepang tyre allocation will comprise Soft, Medium and Hard compound MICHELIN Power Slicks that are designed to cope with the specific requirements, and resist the abrasive surface and heat generated by the asphalt, without any compromise in performance. The front slicks will all be symmetric, and the rears will be asymmetric – featuring a harder right-hand side to cope with the increased stresses that the ten right-hand corners create Malaysia’s tropical location means that rain is almost a daily feature, so there is every probability that a heavy downpour will occur at some point during the weekend. As a result, the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres have been selected to give optimum wet weather performance at this circuit. Soft and Medium compounds will be available for both the front and rear, with the fronts being symmetric and the rears featuring an asymmetric design – with a harder right-hand side like the slicks. Speaking ahead of the race weekend, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Two Wheel Motorsport Manager, said: “The end of this long and exhausting tour of Asia and Oceania is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean we are ready to relax, because the Malaysian GP is a very important race at a crucial time in the championship. Over the last three race weekends we have had a huge mix of weather, from torrential rain to high temperatures and we now expect to roll that all into one weekend here in Malaysia, but without the cooler temperatures we had in Australia! “We probably have more data from Sepang than any other race circuit, but it is still a track that demands total respect, as it’s very technical, has an abrasive surface and usually the asphalt can be very hot. This is one of the venues where the tyres face the possibility of the greatest difference in conditions, not only over the weekend, but hourly, as we can have torrential rain followed by the track drying quickly. The correct rubber compounds are needed to work well in these conditions, and from our intensive testing and knowledge of the circuit we know we have what the riders need to create an exciting race.” This penultimate race weekend of the 2022 season will start on Friday 21 October with two Free Practice sessions, and this will be followed by two more on Saturday ahead of qualifying for the race. On Sunday, the 20-lap race will get underway when the lights go out at 15.00 local time. About Michelin 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 177 countries, has 124,760 employees and operates 68 tire production facilities which together produced around 173 million tires in 2021. (www.michelin.com) Source: Michelin Motorsport Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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