MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
A VERY DEMANDING GRAND PRIX
The MotoGP World Championship leaves European soil behind
once again this weekend as it heads east for three races in
as many weekends. The chase for the title promises to be an
exciting affair as five riders stake their claim over the
remaining five races, which will take place over the next
eight weeks. The season-long battle looks certain to go all
the way to the wire.
Marco Melandri, who lies fourth in the standings behind Rossi,
Pedrosa and Hayden on 161 points, is one of the firm candidates
for the most treasured prize in motorcycle sport.
MARCO MELANDRI: "Now is the time to
take each race as it comes because we are in the final stage
of the championship and we have to give our best all the time.
I'm happy to be racing in Malaysia - a nice track but one
that at the same time is also technical. It is not easy because
of the amount of long corners. Sepang is always very hot,
with not much grip, and it is easy to crash. The rider's conditioning
is one of the keys to success and from that point of view
I feel very confident. My physical preparation is designed
specifically for the level of demands you are put under at
this track - from supermotard riding to motocross and mountain
bikes. We've got three very contrasting circuits coming up
but I like them all and I can't wait to get on my RC211V.
Last year I arrived in Sepang with 35 stitches in my foot
so I wasn't in the right physical shape. Now I'm feeling confident
because we have a good base set-up for the bike which I think
can help me be consistent at each of the remaining tracks.
Tyre choice at Sepang will be another of the main keys to
success."
TONI ELIAS, who rode his RC211V in Malaysia
during the winter tests, returns there determined to show
his true potential.
"The two day test in the Czech Republic was crucial to
be able to better analyse the reactions of the bike. We worked
a lot on weight distribution under braking and we know we
are on the right lines and that the hard work will bear fruit
soon. I like Sepang because it is a technical track which
has some really hard braking areas hidden amongst .We are
working very hard with my team and I hope to get a good result
starting from this race".
FOCUS: HIGH TEMPERATURES AND TYRE WEAR
High temperatures can be extremely wearing on the physical
condition of a MotoGP rider and the case is even more so for
the tyres. At a certain point the intense heat begins to reduce
grip levels and at a circuit like Sepang the lap times are
almost always faster during the morning, when the track registers
around 40ºC than in the afternoon, when it can reach
as high as 50ºC. In order to tackle the difficulties
this presents MICHELIN have come up with a special rubber
compound.
"Independently of the track temperature each tyre is
constructed according to the characteristics of the track,"
explains Nicolas Goubert, Michelin's Director of Motorcycle
Racing. "Its layout, the track surface (topology and
design), the rider's style and the machine. These are some
of the most important factors to take into account. Track
temperature can vary a lot during a single day at Sepang and
go from 40ºC in the morning up to 55ºC by the afternoon."
When the tyres begin to go off, that is when the rider can
make the difference. "Riding style is crucial to the
lifespan of a tyre - especially when temperatures are as high
as they are at Sepang, Laguna Seca or Qatar" continues
Nicolas Goubert. "Heat reduces grip levels and then it
is up to the rider not to slide too much and wear down the
tyre - especially in the early stages of a race."
The experience gathered this season at Laguna Seca, where
track temperatures soared to around 60ºC, has allowed
the Michelin engineers to take another step forward in their
analysis of tyre reaction to extreme heat. The experience
on the American track could be useful next weekend on the
Malaysian track.
Heat in numbers
60ºC: Track temperature at Laguna Seca 2006
15°-20°: The lowest temperature recorded this season
(during the IRTA tests at Barcelona).
48°: Track temperature during preseason testing at Sepang
in 2006.
1,100: The number of tyres being taken to Sepang by Michelin
for use over the weekend.
SEPANG: CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTICS
Inauguration: 1998
Latest modification:1999
Length:5.548 m
Width:25 m
Pole:left
Right corners:10
Left corners:5
Longest straight: 920 m
RECORD:
Circuit record: 2005 Hayden (Honda) 2'02"993
Pole: 2005 Capirosi (Ducati) 2'01"731
Race 2005: 1st Capirossi (Ducati) 2nd Rossi (Yamaha) 3rd Checa
(Ducati)
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