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/661756
IN THE WIND P24 MICHELIN IN HOT WATER—AGAIN A t only their second race back after seven years away, Mi- chelin faced embarrassment and the riders' fear of disintegrating rear tires after new Ducati rider Scott Redding suffered exactly that on the exit from a fifth-gear corner during Free Practice 4 at the Argentina round of MotoGP. The Briton escaped unhurt after managing to regain control and run onto the grass. But the track was strewn with debris after a large semi-circle of tread was flung off, destroying every- thing behind the seat including the exhausts, leaving Redding on a MotoGP "Bobber." The bike was juddering, he said, as he entered the corner. "Then it collapsed at the rear," he said. "I thought it was the swingarm, and I thought: 'Now it's going to be a disaster.'" The bike snapped back and he felt an impact on his back, probably from the tread, which had already obliterated every- thing behind the seat. Sporting a large nascent bruise, he was investigated for possible rib frac- tures, but was cleared to ride. The session was red-flagged while debris was cleared then briefly restarted before wiser counsel prevailed at Race Direc- tion, and it was again suspend- ed briefly while the failure was investigated. Redding had been using the soft-option "Medium" rear, and the tire had completed seven laps when it failed. Michelin decreed that both tire options were safe for short runs and qualifying proceeded, but overnight after a meeting with teams and officials a more radical decision saw the French company withdraw both rear tires, to replace them with the "emergency" extra tire that the rules decree. Technical chief Nicolas Gou- bert explained that until the fail- ure could be fully investigated, it was a safety measure, because both tire options use the same carcass, with only the tread compound changing. They were "twin brothers," he said. The replacement tire had a stronger carcass construction, and the same compound as the existing "Medium." An extra 30 minutes of free practice was scheduled first thing on Sunday to give every- one a chance to get the feel of this different tire, but rain inter- vened, forcing a radical rethink of the rules. Instead of sending riders out on untried tires should the race be dry, Race Direction decided to revert to the tires already tested but with a strict minimum pressure and a compulsory pit- stop to change to a freshly shod bike halfway through the short- ened 20-lap race. This was a repeat of the rem- edy found in Australia in 2013, when the Bridgestones proved unable to run race distance on a resurfaced Phillip Island. Michael Scott The second catastrophic tire failure this year was very unwelcome news for Michelin. Redding stayed on, barely.