Michelin speaks out: "Checking tyre pressure before the race? Impossible"

If this regime continues, the tyre pressure issue may cause MotoGP to explode, almost as if there were too much air. And yet’s there not enough, as evidenced by Aleix Espargaró’s penalty in Thailand and the various warnings handed out to riders following real-time checks at the end of races. We asked Piero Taramasso why the data cannot be monitored prior to the race: "The system used on the starting grid isn’t reliable because measurements aren’t precise”, explains the Michelin manager. "What counts is the pressure when the bike is in motion, with pressure varying depending on pace and speed. The values increase in direct proportion to pace, while a slower pace will see a drop in pressure. The variable is dictated by speed, as I’ve said".

Temperatures and tyre pressures "ad personam" in MotoGP

Is there a risk that the championship will be decided by manometers and sensors? Why can’t something be done on the starting grid? If the thinking is that teams are trying to be ‘crafty’, then wouldn’t it make sense to check the values before the lights go out? Taramasso continues: "on the grid, every rider and their team will have different base values. It all depends on the bike’s load – there are those who prefer more load at the front, while other prefer to feel it at the back. So everyone already starts with very different data.”

There are many parameters to consider, as Piero confirms: "Sure, there’s also the role of the tyre warmers – some heat the tyres to 80°C, others to 90, or even 100 or 110. Also in this case, pressure is invalidated by the heating temperature. With such different temperatures, the control system would be inaccurate.”

The impossible exists in MotoGP, in some cases

The Michelin technicians had in fact considered this but hit obstacles: "The only effective way to measure pressure before the start would be to take measurements 'cold', before the tyre is heated with the tyre warmer. Then, starting with that data, you could continue with the usual heating process".

And the numbers would nevertheless be non-sensical: "It would be unscientific, imprecise and unreliable. I’d say it’s impossible – we’d have to block the valves and that’s not all. The current system is the most precise and reliable, and it’s also used in Moto2 and MotoE. It works very well".