.: Press Release – CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich 2023

Press Release

Sunday 20 August 2023

Performance, consistency and records under extreme conditions during the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich

FRANCESCO BAGNAIA ITA DUCATI LENOVO TEAM DUCATI MotoGP

• The range of MICHELIN Power Slick tyres stood out for its performance and consistency during the Spielberg weekend, and all the partners were competitive.
• Three new records were set at Spielberg with the contribution of Michelin tyres: Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the fastest all-time lap of the circuit in 1:28.533 (-0.239). With a top speed of 315.7 km/h, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is now the fastest rider at the Red Bull Ring. Finally, Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set the new race lap record with a time of 1:29.840 (-0.014).
• Two great rounds of the FIM MotoE™ World Championship. Increased performance, exciting racing and the title race is still open with just four races to go until the end of the season.

After a rainy Friday evening, the Austrian weekend was lit up by resplendent sunshine. Temperatures progressively rose on Sunday, and the race started at 33°C, with a track temperature close to 50°C. Renowned for being one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar, the Red Bull Ring (4.318 km long, with three left-hand corners and eight right-hand corners) always puts riders, machines and tyres to the test. Considering the complexity offered by the three straights, both uphill and downhill corners (the circuit offers a 65m elevation change during each lap), Michelin Motorsport decided to bring MICHELIN Power Slick rear tyres with a reinforced casing to Austria.

Of the two versions available at Spielberg, Soft and Medium, it was the latter which was favoured by the riders for Sunday's Grand Prix (Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – being the only one choosing a Soft rear). On Saturday afternoon, in the 14-lap sprint race, the field was split in two, with several riders betting on the faster warm-up and grip provided by the Soft MICHELIN Power Slick.

As for the front tyres, available in Soft, Medium and Hard versions, due to the high heat and braking constraints specific to the Austrian track, it was the hardest which was preferred by the riders for both Saturday and Sunday races.

"The range of MICHELIN Power Slick tyres was fast and very consistent at Spielberg throughout the weekend, particularly on Sunday under extreme conditions", said Piero Taramasso, manager of two-wheel competition at Michelin. "All of our partners were competitive. With three different motorcycle brands on the front row: Ducati, Aprilia and KTM, our MICHELIN Power Slick range once again illustrated its versatility. The consistency of performance, especially for the winner Francesco Bagnaia during the sprint and in the main race, demonstrated not only the consistency of the MICHELIN Power Slick tyres, but also firmly validated our decision to bring a reinforced rear tyre to Austria. The weekend was further enhanced by three new records set by MotoGP™ riders."

The new 2023 records are:

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the new all-time circuit lap record on Friday during the Practice session, in 1min28s533 (-0.239).
With a top speed of 315.7 km/h, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is the fastest MotoGP rider of all time at the Red Bull Ring.
Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati Team) set the new race lap record, with a time of 1'29.840 (-0.014).

The CryptoDATA Motorrad Gran Prix von Österreich 2023 was won by Francesco Bagnaia, also winner of the sprint race, ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who was also second in the sprint, and Marco Bezzecchi.

FIM MotoE™ World Championship

For the second time, the Red Bull Ring hosted the electric motorcycles of the FIM MotoE World Championship, all equipped with Michelin tyres. Once again, they demonstrated their high performance capabilities on this fast track, with improved lap times compared to 2022. The performance is also remarkable in comparison with Moto3, as the 100% electric Ducatis were running 3.5s per lap more quickly.

The 11th and 12th rounds of the MotoE (out of a total of 16) were contested on a dry track, and produced some close-fought battles. Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) distinguished himself by winning both races on Saturday. Two rounds (four races) from the end of the season, with 189 points, Jordi Torres (GASGAS Aspar Team) is just 15 points ahead of Casadei and 16 points ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE).

It is important to note that Michelin's MotoE tyres are already looking to the future, and incorporate specific rubber mixes. These tyres contain 52% sustainable materials in the rear, and 34% in the front.

Michelin uses MotoE, and all the championships in which it is involved, as an accelerator to advance innovation as quickly as possible. The objective is that all motorcyclists can ultimately benefit from these processes developed in part with the assistance of MotoE, and thus benefit from increasingly durable tyres.

The next rounds of MotoGP and MotoE will take place in Catalonia from 1 to 3 September, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

About Michelin

Michelin's ambition is to sustainably improve its customers' mobility. The leader in the mobility sector, Michelin designs, manufactures, and distributes the tires best suited to their requirements and uses as well as services and solutions to improve transport efficacy. Michelin also puts forward offers that allow its customers to enjoy unique moments when traveling. Michelin also develops high-technology equipment intended for multiple fields. Based in Clermont-Ferrand, Michelin is present in 175 countries, employs 132,200 people and operates 67 tire factories that, together, produced approximately 167 million tires in 2022. (www.michelin.com).

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