With its asphalt made very smooth by a closed grain size and favourable weather conditions, the Aragon circuit lived up to its reputation as an atypical European track, where the ground temperature rises faster than anywhere else. On arrival, the Michelin Motorsport teams nevertheless had some uncertainties about the thermal behaviour of the track, following the postponement of the Spanish round from the end of August to the beginning of June. However, on the one hand, the riding conditions were ultimately similar to those already encountered, and on the other, the quality of the Michelin tyres made it possible to close the gaps and even make the difference.
The Alcañiz circuit, also known as Motorland Aragón, is 5.077 km long and is unique in that it is driven anti-clockwise (10 left-hand corners, 7 right-hand corners). In 2023, the entire track was resurfaced, and last year Grand Prix motorcycles raced there for the first time. Building on this experience and after analysing the data collected, Michelin’s engineers decided to develop one of the front tyre compounds and the tread compound of the rear Soft tyre. These choices proved to be spot on, as all records were broken.
"Our tyre package was perfectly suited to the situation," said Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s two-wheeler competition manager. “We discovered the evolving nature and smoothness of this asphalt last year, and that guided our choices. In qualifying, we saw that the riders had chosen the Medium compound for the front and the Soft compound for the rear. This was the right combination for the Tissot Sprint, especially as the Soft compound had undergone a few adjustments to improve the tyre’s durability. In the Grand Prix, it was the versatility of our Medium compounds, both front and rear, that made for such an intense and fast race. But Pedro Acosta’s choice to start on the Hard tyre at the front was also possible, as the KTM rider finished just off the podium after several battles with Francesco Bagnaia for 3rd place. At Michelin, this is exactly what we are looking for: to enable battles where anything is possible, where the tyre is not a factor for the rider, and where consistent performance enables the exceptional. The Grand Prix lap record, set by Marc Márquez in the final minutes of the race, also demonstrates the intensity with which we support our partners, who are constantly developing their race bikes.”
For the 2025 GoPro Grand Prix of Aragón, Michelin Motorsport provided the racing teams with Soft, Medium and Hard compounds – symmetrical – for the front wheel, and Soft and Medium for the rear wheel, this time with the left side reinforced.
On Saturday, the Tissot Sprint was won by Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), followed by Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing) and his teammate Fermin Aldeguer. On Sunday, the Grand Prix saw Marc Márquez win again ahead of his brother Alex, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking the third step on the podium.
New records with Michelin tyres
Marc Márquez was the first to break a record during the weekend, setting a lap time of 1’45.704 in the second qualifying session. He improved on his own record (1’45.801) set in 2024. This was his 99th Grand Prix pole position, including 71 in the MotoGP™ class.
On Saturday afternoon, the duration of the Tissot Sprint was reduced by almost 7 seconds: 19'43.026, compared to 19'50.03 in 2024. During this Sprint race, Marc Márquez broke the lap record (1’46.906), also setting a time of 1’47.197 (also faster than the 2024 benchmark) in the 11th and final lap. This performance demonstrates the consistency of the MICHELIN Power Slick range.
On Sunday, the duration of the Grand Prix was improved by more than 24 seconds, to 41’11.195. The fastest lap in the race was also drastically revised, dropping from 1’47.795 (set by Luca Marini on Ducati in 2022) to 1’46.705. This remarkable performance by Marc Márquez, achieved on lap 21, once again highlights the durability of Michelin tyres.
The next round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship will take place from 20 to 22 June at the Mugello circuit. It will be the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy.
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