Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1527609
VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P137 current aerodynamics, supple- mented by ride-height devices. Greater downforce, increased braking and faster cornering overload the front tire. Back in the day, Michelin made special event- and weath- er-specific "Rossi tires" during race weekends, to suit prevailing track conditions and shipped them to the star rider overnight. Much to Casey Stoner's dismay. He didn't get them. Now, Michelin has failed for more than two years to make a front tire fit for purpose. There's one on the way, tested at Misano and welcomed by riders, only for Michelin to say that instead of next season, it won't be available until 2026. They want to make changes and need more testing, and the rules strictly limit the number of tests available. The Rossi tires had more to do with compound; the new 2024 tire a different construc- tion, and changing this is not an overnight affair. But surely, it should be manageable within, say, a few months. Or a year. This is the penalty of control tire supply. Michelin's rapid-fire Rossi tires were produced when they were in competition with Bridgestone and Dunlop. Now it's just Michelin. So why bother? Just let the riders, the fans and the sport suffer. It's hard to see MotoGP's commercially minded new own- ers Liberty tolerating this sort of nonsense. Fix it, please. CN IN FACT, FRAMING THE RULE IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS THE WRONG DECISION. was neither his nor his Tech 3 team's fault. A leaking rim was the culprit. In other cases, lower tire pressures (always inadvertent) are considered serious enough to merit swingeing punishment. Not this time, however, since there had been no skullduggery. Of course, it was the right decision. He rode a blinder and deserved the glory. But it made other punishments, when riders also failed to crash despite be - ing below pressure, look like the wrong decision. In fact, framing the rule in the first place was the wrong decision. Adding to Sunday's muddle, stewards announced that Binder and Nakagami were also under investigation but that due (presumably) to having to dash to the airport to fly to Japan, the decision would only be announced "at the next event." Since this would drop Binder from fifth to 10th (Nakagami one place, to 12th) the delay was reprehensible. Then sud - denly all change: they'd reached a decision after all. Binder—in- nocent; Nakagami—guilty. Being stewards, no explana- tion was required. Off to the business class lounge, chaps. This was just the latest non- sense in the tire-pressure saga, rules intended to reduce danger for riders tempted to run what Michelin deems dangerously under-inflated tires, although the riders and teams obviously disagree, feeling able to make their own decision concerning the risk. They know pressure will in - evitably rise with heat during the race, especially following another bike. This is one reason to start with the pressure on the low side; if it becomes too high, the grip disappears. Surely, this is as dan - gerous as being under-inflated? Indeed, tires, and not only Michelins, offer riders so many other opportunities to fall off (just ask Bagnaia) that singling out this one seems perverse. Pressure choice is pure guess - work. Nobody knows whether they will be alone, where cool air means the pressure remains more or less stable, or in a pack, in which case it will rapidly rise. This makes it very easy to fall foul of the rule. This year, there have been 18 such penalties: at Assen, Marc Marquez was dropped from fourth to 10th, losing seven points, after the unedifying spectacle of seeing this multi- champion waving another rider (Di Giannantonio) past so as to follow to try to heat his tire. This is not real racing. The framing of the rule is the consequence, say Michelin, of