Michelin was at the center of the latest MotoGP controversy, with Jorge Martín blaming the category’s tire supplier for allegedly providing him with a defective tire, which ultimately caused him significant performance issues leading to a poor showing in yesterday’s race in Qatar, jeopardizing his contention for the title.

In response to the Pramac rider’s criticism, Piero Taramasso – Michelin’s head for MotoGP – was quick to defend the French structure: ‘This weekend the absolute record and also the record for the fastest lap of the race were broken on the last lap. This shows the consistency of Michelin tires’ performance. Not only was the track surface new, but also a Grand Prix motorcycle had never ridden on it. It was not possible to organize any pre-test, and the first test session on a “green” track was really like a dive into the unknown.’

Taramasso then ‘aimed’ at Martín, considering that what happened with #89 was the only negative point of the weekend: ‘The only negative note was Jorge Martín’s performance. He complained about the rear tire at the beginning and then also about the front tire, because he pushed too hard. We are analyzing the data because, at this moment, it is not easy to say anything about the tire. The tire was manufactured in France and transported directly here, it was never pre-heated before.’

And he assured that news would come soon after analyzing what happened: ‘He has no idea, check the data we received from the team and, as soon as we have any news, we will inform Jorge, Pramac, and everyone about what happened.’

O conteúdo Michelin “responds” to Martín: ‘It was the only negative point in a weekend of records; his tyre came straight from France’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Three new Michelin products at EICMA 2023. Michelin Power 6, dedicated to sportbike users with a focus on mileage, ideal for daily commuting or long-distance riding. 

Available in a wide range of sizes, this tire is suitable for motorcycles over 300cc, even those with a sporty nature. 

The Michelin Power GP2, as its name suggests, is the model intended for circuits but homologated for the road. Designed by the same team of engineers and with the same development tools used for MotoGP tires, it is aimed at supersport motorcycle owners and, compared to its predecessor, offers an even higher level of grip on dry or wet surfaces. 

The Michelin Anakee Road completes a range that until now consisted of two more off-road-oriented products: the Anakee Wild and the Anakee Adventure. 

Michelin Anakee Road is aimed at motorcyclists who ride Enduro road bikes, but who prefer the road to off-road, and who use their bikes almost exclusively for long journeys on the road, as well as for everyday commuting.

O conteúdo Michelin – all the news from EICMA 2023 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.