When we hear Sepang, we imagine a fast, technical track where the sun can ruin the asphalt and then five minutes later rain could soak it. Although the Malaysian track holds no secrets for the MotoGP riders who are used to the winter season here, surprises are always around the corner.
Not just for the drivers, but also for the Michelin technicians who prepared for the penultimate race of the season by developing tires that can withstand the heat and the abrasive asphalt. As always, there are three compounds available (soft, medium and hard), with symmetrical front tires and asymmetrical rear wheels (with a harder right side)).
In wet weather, Michelin rain tires are soft and medium (in this case also the rear tires asymmetrically).
“This is a track that we all know very well, as we come here every year for a pre-season test and it’s an ideal track to understand the bikes and the tires,” explains Michelin manager Piero Taramasso in 2016 , so it should be properly sorted out now, and While we have a lot of data here, it still takes a lot of thought as it’s one of the hottest places we visit and track temperatures can be pretty extreme, it’s not uncommon for them to rise above 50C. “
The tires must therefore withstand considerable loads.
“The tires are pushed to the limit to withstand the high temperatures and have shown their full potential since our return to MotoGP, they also had to show their skills in wet weather as we have had some wet sessions since our return to Malaysia, “assured Taramasso.