De Moto2 en Moto3 gaan in Qatar voor het eerst van start op Pirelli’s. De nieuwe bandenleverancier vervangt Dunlop, en dat brengt gewoontegetrouw een hoop stress, technische aanpassingen en ook aanpassingen voor de rijders met zich mee. Losail is bovendien niet de gemakkelijkste piste voor de banden, dus je mag wel zeggen dat de zenuwen bij Pirelli strak gespannen staan. Meer info in onderstaand persbericht.
PRESS RELEASE
Pirelli to Qatar for its racing debut in Moto2TM and Moto3TM
Among the challenges that Pirelli tyres will have to face in Lusail are above all the new asphalt and the possible presence of sand on the track
Over the weekend, the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar will host the first Grand Prix of the 75th season of the blue riband series in motorcycle racing, which will see the racing debut of Pirelli as the official and exclusive supplier of tyres for the Moto2TM and Moto3TM classes.
Pirelli will make its range of DIABLOTM Superbike slick and DIABLOTM Rain wet tyres available to both classes, in line with its philosophy “We sell what we race, we race what we sell” which envisages the use not of prototypes but of standard tyres that can be purchased by all motorcyclists.
Lusail is a circuit that hides several challenges for the tyres, due to the presence of sand coming from the desert and the temperature changes, plus a new surface built in 2023. Pirelli will face them by relying on the standard allocation planned for 2024 for the two classes, with the addition of a rear development solution dedicated only to Moto3TM riders.
Our adventure in Moto2TM and Moto3TM begins under the spotlights of Qatar.
“Lusail is a circuit that we know well because we raced there with both the Superbike World Championship and Formula 1. A very fast track with the longest straight among the circuits on the World Championship calendar. The temperature range between the sessions at the start and end of the day and, above all, the sand that is often deposited on the track by the wind, always have a significant impact on tyre wear and imply greater difficulty in managing pressures. The sand makes the asphalt very slippery, and this often results in graining and accentuated thermal degradation. Precisely with the aim of cleaning the track, in the first sessions of the weekend the riders will be asked to take curves with constant radii trying to better manage tyre wear and probably using harder solutions, which is why for the Moto3 riders we have also brought a rear development more protected from wear. The track evolution is generally good but overnight there is always the risk that the wind could deposit new sand, limiting the benefits of the rubber laid down on track. Furthermore, last year the circuit was completely resurfaced: this is certainly the main unknown for us: we are aware that the new asphalt is quite aggressive with the tyres, the riders have already raced here in 2023 but not in this period of the year therefore the data available to us is limited. In any case, the tests carried out in Valencia and Jerez returned very positive feedback so we are confident that we can have a good season.”
- Tyre allocation: the standard allocation for the 2024 season includes DIABLO Superbike slick tyres, at the front in SC1 (soft) and SC2 (medium) compounds for both classes, at the rear in SC0 (soft) and SC1 (medium) compounds for Moto2TM and SC1 and SC2 for Moto3TM. Then there is the DIABLO Rain wet solution in SCR1 compound for both the front and rear. For the Qatar Grand Prix, the Moto3TM riders will also have a development rear compound in C1096 specification, a harder solution than the others which could prove invaluable if the severity of the asphalt significantly affects wear, especially in the first sessions.
- Asphalt and curbs: in terms of severity for the tyres, Lusail is a rather demanding circuit and the new asphalt built in 2023 has proven to be particularly aggressive. Even the presence of curbs with a particular pyramid shape in the outermost part can constitute a challenge for the tyres, even if this aspect concerns cars more because motorbikes do not travel such wide trajectories.
- Sand: despite the presence of green areas specially built around the circuit, the desert sand carried by the wind often settles on the asphalt of the track, contributing to the motorbikes sliding more and, consequently, generating wear and graining on the tyres, especially in the first sessions, thus making the evolution of the track even more relevant.
- Track evolution: the Lusail circuit presents a good evolution, which will be even more accentuated than in the past by the presence of the new asphalt. Given that the track is little used during the year, in the first Friday sessions the tyres often find themselves facing an asphalt with a lot of sand and which offers little grip. As more rubber laid down on the track, the situation improves but there is always the possibility of an involution if during the night there is a lot of wind that brings sand back onto the track or, more remote probability, it rains.
- Thermal changes: over the three days, the Moto2TM and Moto3TM riders will take to the track at different times throughout the day, approximately between 12pm and 8pm. Although in this period of the year the temperature variation in Qatar is less evident than in other months of the year, the fluctuation in asphalt temperatures can even exceed 10 degrees Celsius between the early afternoon sessions and those at the end of the day, influencing the tyre choice and wear.