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Michelin’s Piero Taramasso. Tyres are an extension of the riders’ senses. 

Motul
20 July

Along with a well-lubricated engine, tyres may be the most important part of any vehicle. Especially when it comes to sensitive machines like motorbikes, and even more at the mind-bending speeds of Moto GP. Michelin is the official tyre supplier for the Moto GP and their two-wheel motorsport manager Piero Taramasso explains how it all works.

 

 

The support you provide is enormous, you can notice it immediately in the paddock. What are the numbers? I mean, how many tyres do you get through every race weekend and how big is the crew?

 

Every race weekend we bring 1.400 tyres with us. In Europe we work with six trucks which bring all the materials and if we travel overseas we send them by boat and plane. We send 700 tyres by boat and 700 by plane. Every weekend we bring 25 people with us, wherever we operate in the world.

 

Apart from the commercial benefits, what does a company like Michelin get out of a collaboration with Moto GP?

 

When you travel around the world with the same team, bikes and crew, you can collect an enormous amount of data. You race on very different surfaces and in very different conditions, with temperatures ranging from 10-15°C right up to 40+°C in Sepang. And every rider has his own style, so you learn a lot about your compound and the wear on the tyres.

 

 

The support you provide is enormous, you can notice it immediately in the paddock. What are the numbers? I mean, how many tyres do you get through every race weekend and how big is the crew?

 

Every race weekend we bring 1.400 tyres with us. In Europe we work with six trucks which bring all the materials and if we travel overseas we send them by boat and plane. We send 700 tyres by boat and 700 by plane. Every weekend we bring 25 people with us, wherever we operate in the world.

 

Apart from the commercial benefits, what does a company like Michelin get out of a collaboration with Moto GP?

 

When you travel around the world with the same team, bikes and crew, you can collect an enormous amount of data. You race on very different surfaces and in very different conditions, with temperatures ranging from 10-15°C right up to 40+°C in Sepang. And every rider has his own style, so you learn a lot about your compound and the wear on the tyres.

 

 

How many tyres does a rider have at his disposal?

 

For each front compound we bring five tyres, and six for the rear, but they can only use a limited number because it’s regulated. So they can use five front tyres and six rear tyres during one weekend.

 

 

Pictures credit : Frederik Herregods

 

 

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