Pirelli brings a new Moto2™ rear tyre to the German GP

Right after the Dutch GP at Assen, Pirelli moves on to Germany, following the riders in the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes, where next weekend the German Grand Prix will be held at the Sachsenring. In addition to being the shortest circuit in the calendar (3,671 metre lap), the German circuit is peculiar in that it has many left-hand corners, most of which are long and very fast, and an abrasive asphalt that offers little grip, two elements that, when combined, make it unique and particularly demanding for the tyres.

Georgio Barbier - Motorcycle Racing Director

A larger allocation for a challenging circuit that we know little about

“Sachsenring is a circuit we know little about because we have never raced there, at least not in the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes or in other international championships, so we don’t have any hard data to base our knowledge on. We only have indirect information from riders who have raced here in past seasons, which tells us that it is a particularly demanding track for tyres because of its layout, with lots of fast left-handers, an abrasive asphalt with poor grip and often uncertain weather conditions. That’s why we decided to extend our standard allocation by supplementing it with some solutions that offer more protection against wear. This is the case with the new D0532 rear development specification available to Moto2™ riders, which at the Sachsenring could be a viable alternative to the standard SC0, which until now has been the rear most widely used and appreciated by riders, should the latter show too much wear. Compared to the SC0 it has in fact a different structure and compound and has been made with the aim of offering very consistent behaviour over race distance while ensuring excellent levels of handling. The other additional compounds, the front and rear SC3 in Moto2™ and the rear development C1096 in Moto3™, also go in the direction of offering more wear-protected solutions. At the Sachsenring we will also see in action the young riders of the Northern Talent Cup for whom we are the sole tyre supplier from this year and who, for the first time this season, will share the paddock with the other classes of the World Championship.”

The Race of Tyres

· Expanded allocation: in Moto2™, in addition to the standard allocation, riders will have four SC3 (hard) tyres available for the front, while for the rear, in addition to the eight units of SC0 (soft), there will be eight D0532 development specification tyres and four pieces of SC3 (hard). Consequently, Moto2™ riders will be allowed to use 9 front and 10 rear tyres over the weekend instead of the 8 and 9 usually allowed by the regulations. In Moto3™, there is only one additional specification compared to the standard allocation: the development hard in C1096 specification, in 4 units per rider. With one extra specification, riders in this class will be able to use 1 extra rear (10 instead of 9) compared to the standard allowance. As always, in case of rain, there will be for both classes the DIABLO Rain solution in SCR1 compound for both front (5 units) and rear (6 units). 

· Wear and temperatures: the 3,671-metre Sachsenring is the shortest circuit in the World Championship. Travelled anti-clockwise, it has 10 left-hand corners and 3 right-hand ones: a disparity, this, which translates into particularly accentuated stress on the left side of the tyres and the difficulty of bringing the right shoulder up to temperature. In this regard, a key point is turn 11, called Waterfall, a downhill right-hand corner, taken at high speed, which comes after six left-hand corners. Coming into this section, the tyre may have lost several degrees of temperature on the right shoulder.

· Braking and fast corners: of the three most important points for braking, Turn 1, the first after the 800-metre-long start straight, is the most severe and also the one where the riders appreciate the front tyre support the most, as it is the point where many of the overtaking attempts take place. This corner leads downhill into the twisty part of the track, a fast series of six bends where stability and precision are paramount.

· Northern Talent Cup: for the first time this year, the promising young riders of the Northern Talent Cup will share the Sachsenring track with the riders of the World Championship, for their fifth race of the season. Pirelli is the sole tyre supplier for this championship, which is part of the Road to MotoGP™ project promoted by Dorna. The bikes are equipped with DIABLO Superbike slick tyres in sizes 100/70 R17 at the front and 120/70 R17 at the rear, in SC2 compound. For the rain, on the other hand, the same sizes for the front but 125/70 R17 at the rear, and SCR1 compound.