.: Press Release – PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia 2024

Press Release

Heat or humidity, Michelin's tyre allocation worked perfectly

• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) wins on the Sepang circuit due to a tyre combination that worked perfectly in the weather conditions of Southeast Asia.
• The Ducati rider improved the circuit lap record by more than a second with his Soft front and Medium rear MICHELIN Power Slicks.
• At the end of the 19th of 20 race weekends the Riders' title is still to be decided, so we will have to wait until the final round of the season to find out who will use their Michelin tyres to become the 2024 World Champion.

The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia lived up to all its promises, with a tense and closely-fought Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix. This 19th, and penultimate, round of the 2024 season did not determine the Champion of the premier class, but it was still very rich in emotions. Due to the consistent performance of Michelin tyres, the riders were able to push to the limit and fight without any concessions until the finish line.

During the Sepang race weekend it sometimes rained during the night, but the days were dry and hot, with a high percentage of relative humidity. The first test session took place on a track with damp patches, which made finding the ideal bike set-up difficult. In addition, with the track temperature having reached almost 55°C, testing the different tyres in order to find the right combination for the qualifying session was a complicated exercise. Nevertheless, the answer was quickly apparent by the lap times, because by the end of the first session an improvement in the lap time of 0.7 seconds was already recorded.

However, it was on Saturday morning that the first record of the weekend was broken. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) covered the 5.543 km of the Petronas Sepang International circuit in 1’56.337, compared to the previous record of 1’57.491 which he set in 2023.

Although pole position was achieved with Soft front and Medium rear MICHELIN Power slicks, it was also this combination that allowed the vast majority of riders to complete the Tissot Sprint at a very high pace.

"We had the right tyres for the conditions, and several strategies were possible," said Piero Taramasso, Michelin's two-wheel racing manager. "After Thailand, where we had already seen that heat and humidity were complex elements to control, things were turned up a notch here in Malaysia. However, our partners, assisted by our teams on the ground, managed to find the right combination and discover the optimum settings for our tyres. With a very hot track and air loaded with humidity, the right set-up was not easy to determine, but the package we selected was well adapted to the situation. The Soft front tyre, which corresponds to the technical criteria of the 2023 Medium compound, was appropriate for chasing lap records and maintaining a high race pace from start to finish. During the Tissot Sprint, we saw that the Medium rear compound was perfect, and this was also the case for the Grand Prix since all the riders chose it. For the front, both the Soft and Medium compounds were in the mix. We saw that Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin made different tyre choices (the latter switching to the Medium front) as the two championship leaders engaged in a merciless battle. It made for a particularly exciting spectacle, and the grand finale of the Riders' title is set to be played out at the final race of the season."

For the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, Michelin's partners had at their disposal three symmetrical front compounds (Soft, Medium and Hard), while at the rear, Medium and Hard compounds were available, with an asymmetric tread (with the right side harder, due to the greater number of corners on that side).

On Saturday afternoon, it was Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who won the Tissot Sprint, ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Sunday’s Grand Prix saw victory for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), ahead of Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini.

New records at the Sepang circuit

Tissot Sprint

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) broke the Sprint race lap record with a time of 1’57.805 (compared to 1’58.996, which was set in 2023 by Enea Bastianini).
The Tissot Sprint race duration dropped from 19’58.713 to 19’49.230, an average improvement of more than nine-tenths of a second per lap.

Grand Prix

In qualifying, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) broke his own all time circuit lap record with a lap of 1’56.337. This is an impressive improvement of 1.154 seconds compared to his previous 2023 record of 1'57.491.

After an accident involving several motorcycles on the first lap, a restart for a slightly shortened race (19 laps instead of 20) was given. The duration of the Grand Prix cannot therefore be compared with that of last year.

The location and date of the final round of the season will be announced in the coming days. The dramatic weather events that have severely affected the Valencia region of Spain have logically led the organisers to cancel the planned Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place on the Ricardo Tormo circuit from 15 to 17 November.

About Michelin

Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. (www.michelin.com)

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