The 2006 MotoGP World Championship moves into its final phase at Estoril in Portugal, the first of two season-ending GPs in Europe following the sport's three-race overseas odyssey in Malaysia, Australia & Japan.
With just two races remaining the title is wide open, with five riders able to win motorcycling's biggest prize which last went 'down to the wire' way back in 1992. Michelin riders have used Michelin MotoGP tyre technology to dominate the 2006 series & currently hold the top three places in the points chase. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) & Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) are separated by just 37 points at the top of the points table, while Rookie of the Year Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) is in fifth spot & still has an outside chance of the title. So far this year Michelin riders have won 12 of 15 races, scored nine pole positions & filled 36 of a possible 45 podium places.
Michelin has an excellent record at Estoril, winning all six premier-class GPs staged at the circuit since 2000. Estoril is the slowest track in MotoGP but offers its own set of challenges to tyre technicians. The circuit is very asymmetric, none too grippy & quite bumpy. Changeable weather conditions can also add an extra complication at MotoGP's most westerly Continental event.
Michelin's Response To The Challenge Of Estoril
"Estoril is quite a
difficult track because it is quite asymmetric," says
Nicolas Goubert, Michelin's director of motorcycle
racing. "Also this year's race is quite late so the
conditions could be chilly, maybe wet too. & because the
track is close to the sea the weather can be
unpredictable & change very quickly, a bit like Phillip
Island. "The circuit itself is quite interesting because
it's a strange mix of very slow corners & very fast
corners, & there's a long straight too, so it's quite
varied. The surface is quite old, it's not very high
grip & not very hard on tyres, so it's quite difficult
to find grip, although there are a few long corners that
do put some heat into the tyres. The last corner is
particularly long, with riders using a lot of lean & a
lot of throttle, so you need the right side of the rear
tyre to be quite strong."
"This is the last but one race of what has been a great
season & we have four of our riders fighting for the
title. This is very exciting for us but it doesn't
change the way we work. Maybe we get a bit more pressure
from the teams at times like this but we treat all our
riders the same, then at the end the best will win!
"In Australia last month Michelin achieved its 350th premier-class victory. I didn't realise at the time because I'm not counting. I've been director of the company's motorcycle racing activities since 1997, during which time we have won something like 150 GPs. Each of those victories is a success for the Michelin group, it's a team achievement, it is never just one guy's input. But I am very proud of what Michelin has achieved in motorcycle racing, especially in MotoGP which has been a huge challenge with massive increases in horsepower. We have dominated the series, winning all but seven of the 80 MotoGP races held since the start of 2002 & we have never been beaten in wet or intermediate conditions."
Estoril
Data
Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team
YZR-M1-Michelin), 1m 38.423s, 152.964kmh/95.047mph
(2004)
Pole position 2005: Alex Barros (Camel Honda
RC211V-Michelin) 1m 37.202s
Recent winners of the
Portuguese GP
2005 Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V-Michelin) 47m
14.053s (rain-affected race)
2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team
YZR-M1-Michelin), 46m 34.911s
2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team
RC211V-Michelin), 46m 48.005s
2002 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team
RC211V-Michelin), 54m 12.962s (wet race)
2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro NSR500-Michelin),
47m 25.357s
2000 Garry McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha WCM-Michelin), 48m
07.663s
Michelin
MotoGP Riders 2006
Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team
RC211V-Michelin)
Toni Elias, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda
RC211V-Michelin)
Casey Stoner (Honda LCR RC211V-Michelin)
Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V-Michelin)
Kenny Roberts Junior (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin)
Colin Edwards, Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team
YZR-M1-Michelin
