Pirelli bring extended range of compounds to the French GP

For the historic Bugatti circuit of Le Mans, in addition to the standard allocation, the riders will also have the front SC3 compound in Moto2™ and the rear C1096 specification in Moto3™

For the French Grand Prix of the Motorcycle World Championship, which will take place from 10 to 12 May on the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, Pirelli has decided to replicate what was adopted for the Grand Prix of the Americas, with the standard 2024 allocation bolstered by the SC3 front compound for Moto2™ riders and the rear C1096 specification for Moto3™. This choice is dictated by the desire to offer riders a wide range of options, some of these particularly resistant to wear and therefore useful in the event of cold temperatures which could trigger excessive consumption.

Giorgio Barbier - Motorcycle Racing Director

We return to a circuit that has given us a lot of satisfaction in the past

“Although we have never raced at Le Mans with this Championship, the Bugatti Circuit is not new to us as we have participated in several editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle, winning 6 of them in recent years with the Team SRC Kawasaki France always using standard tyres regularly on sale on the market. This track does not pose any particular dangers for the tyres, the only unknown is the weather: even though we’re already in May, in this area, it’s possible to experience significant temperature variations between night and day. Cold temperatures could accentuate tyre wear, and this explains why, following Texas, we decided to propose the front SC3 for Moto2™ and the rear C1096 for Moto3™ in France too. It’s just a precaution, if it gets hot enough, I expect everyone will focus on softer solutions. The layout of the track is a mix of high-speed corners and hard braking, it will be interesting to see which compounds will be most used given that this is the first time we have raced on this track with these categories.”

THE RACE OF THE TYRES

· Tyre allocation: Moto2™ riders will have the SC3 (hard) compound available at the front (4 per rider), while Moto3™ riders will have the same quantity of a development rear compound with C1096 (hard) specification. This latest compound has already been allocated in Texas and Qatar. These compounds will be added to the standard 2024 allocation, which includes SC1 (soft) and SC2 (medium) compounds at the front for both classes. For the rear, Moto2™ will have SC0 (soft) and SC1 (medium) compounds, while Moto3™ will have SC1 and SC2. In case of rain, there is the DIABLO Rain wet solution in SCR1 compound for both the front and rear for riders in both categories.

· More choice for Q2: following a regulation change, starting from the French GP the 4 Moto2™ and Moto3™ riders who will move from Q1 to Q2 will be free to choose the preferred compound for the extra set provided for the access to Q2. They will no longer be tied to using a softer option than the one used in Q1.

· Characteristics of the track: inaugurated in 1966, the Bugatti circuit is named after the Milanese naturalised French entrepreneur Ettore Bugatti, founder of the historic car manufacturer. The track measures 4,185 meters, with a 674-meter straight, which is 13 meters wide. It features 14 corners, with 5 left turns and 9 right turns. Partially derived from the classic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, it is a highly technical track characterised by numerous corners at medium to high speeds, such as those in turns 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12. Additionally, it features significant braking zones at turns 8, 9, and 11.