Take heed to this text
After the usual 2022 tyres suffered blistering in February’s pre-season take a look at on the Mandalika circuit because of the excessive warmth, Michelin elected to carry a stiffer tyre building not used since 2018.
Whereas most felt the older tyre design typically supplied much less grip, these issues affected Honda – who topped the Mandalika take a look at on the usual tyre – essentially the most.
Pol Espargaro was fearful he would not have the ability to end the race because of the stress being placed on the entrance tyre because of his lack of rear grip, whereas Marc Marquez suffered a horrifying high-side within the warm-up session which dominated him out of the race and has led to extra double imaginative and prescient issues.
After the race, Puig mentioned Honda needed to perceive what went on with Michelin – although the latter insisted “there was no drawback” with the tyres in Indonesia and advised Honda merely did not know how you can get it to work.
In a prolonged assertion issued to Motorsport.com from Honda, Puig mentioned he feels Michelin boss Piero Taramasso’s feedback had been “not vital”.
“Effectively, talking frankly, and in my private and personal opinion – I’m not very shocked,” Puig mentioned of Taramasso’s feedback.
“In my final Observe Report, I solely talked about that we must analyse the state of affairs with Michelin – that is all.
“And we see how Mr Taramasso reacted when prompted by the media – it was not vital in any respect…
“It is a bit unusual when he says, in a well mannered manner in fact, that Honda would not know how you can adapt.
“Honda has been adapting to many technical modifications, together with totally different rules, tyres, engine sizes, lessons, and many others. and many others. because the starting of the world championship sequence again in 1966 and it has been the most lasting and most profitable firm in GP historical past with 25 premier class constructor championships and 21 premier class rider world championships.
“Does this imply we do not know how you can adapt? OK, it is the primary I am listening to this.”
Michelin says its findings on the tyres had been based mostly by itself information evaluation, however Puig believes in situations like this rider opinion means greater than “a line on a pc”, whereas noting that Taramasso “has a mentality” to “not admit any error”.
“From my very own expertise in racing, it’s important to discuss to the riders first – to not Apple, IBM or Dell the place you see a line on a pc,” he added.
“You could take heed to the riders and in case you have riders which have been world champions, a number of occasions, you may assume that these riders are guys who know what they’re speaking about.
“On this paddock, producers discuss to producers, riders discuss to the organiser, IRTA (Worldwide Race Groups Affiliation) talks to the groups and plenty of occasions we disagree on many topics.
“However it’s at all times within the limits of discussions and debate the place we evolve and discover good options that enable us to maneuver ahead within the curiosity of all events and of the game. Mr Taramasso appears to have a mentality that each time somebody talks immediately about his tyres, he turns into hypersensitive, not admitting any error from his aspect and this, from my perspective, is flawed and too radical.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Workforce
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“All of us make errors, him as nicely.”
Considered one of Taramasso’s complaints stemmed from Puig not having been on the February take a look at to know the tyre points.
Puig – who was present process surgical procedure on the time of the take a look at – thinks his expertise as a rider offers him understanding of conditions like this, and highlighted the truth that the carcass Michelin delivered to Indonesia was designed for a totally totally different sort of circuit format.
“My understanding, or obvious lack thereof, that Mr Taramasso mentions is clearly not exact,” Puig acknowledged.
“For Mr Taramasso’s info – I used to be racing for a few years and even had a number of actually good races again within the 1990s, with Michelin tyres by the way in which.
“So, I perceive very nicely what a rider feels and wishes from a tyre when they’re racing a machine that produces over 200 bhp.
“Actually, you may solely perceive a racing tyre in case you have raced.
“If you’re within the workplace or in entrance of a pc you may perceive some issues, the idea, however you may by no means perceive the truth, the sensation of what a racing slick tyre is.
“The tyre Michelin introduced for the Indonesian GP was utilized in Thailand and Austria a number of years in the past (2017/2018), tracks which have lengthy straights.
“Mandalika is a totally totally different circuit, it is a monitor the place you should not have many lengthy straights and the place the bike is sort of at all times carrying some lean angle or with some banking.
“These sorts of tracks want good edge grip, you clearly do not want a rock-hard tyre at this sort of monitor.
“This older carcass had, and has, its personal points particularly round getting the tyre as much as temperature.
“We are able to see that through the Mandalika weekend many of the crashes had been within the first two laps – an issue that was frequent with this 2018 tyre and why Michelin developed new tyres.
“Moreover, you will need to develop a MotoGP machine across the tyres of that season, so whenever you change the tyres all of the sudden to 1 which the bike was not designed for, it complicates the state of affairs quite a bit for all groups. Honda weren’t the one producer to search out their riders’ tempo and feeling all of the sudden gone through the Indonesian GP weekend.”
Because of the Mandalika monitor breaking apart on the final nook, the MotoGP race was shortened from 27 laps to 20.
Puig believes this might have been an possibility within the first place to get across the tyre blistering drawback from the take a look at, whereas additionally suggesting a flag-to-flag contest within the dry – as was the case in Australia in 2013 and Argentina in 2016 when tyre points prompted security considerations.
He additionally felt a misinterpretation of his riders’ feedback concerning the age of the tyre by Taramasso was “not very respectful to them”.
Whereas Marquez’s warm-up crash was a results of the rear of his Honda letting undergo Flip 7 within the warm-up session forward of the race, Puig insists that he would not consider at this stage Michelin is totally guilty for the incident.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Workforce after his crash
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“No, completely not,” he concluded when requested if Marquez’s crash was solely the tyre’s fault.
“I by no means mentioned that, I mentioned that we should perceive the state of affairs totally and discuss to Michelin for readability and to know what the plan is in case this type of state of affairs occurs once more.
“However Mr Taramasso has overreacted to my phrases. I’ve at all times thought-about Michelin to be a really technically superior firm, an business chief within the growth of racing tyres for each vehicles and bikes.
“They’re consultants in competitors and have spent a few years working for and reaching large success of their discipline and have produced superb supplies all through these years of racing.
“I’ve been concerned in racing for a few years and with this have been in a position to perceive that when a rider crashes and there’s no clear mechanical drawback then it’s a rider mistake.
“However in all crashes, there are components that contribute to the crash and tyres are part of the equation.
“If Mr Taramasso can’t perceive or settle for this, then I don’t perceive his mentality or strategy. You already know, there are a lot of individuals on this paddock that discuss all day, continuously speaking about every part.
“This isn’t my case, I do not discuss quite a bit, I solely discuss when I’m requested to speak or when I’ve one thing to say. The state of affairs in Mandalika is such a case and the one factor I mentioned was that we needed to discuss deeply with Michelin.
“That’s the level. There was an nearly unbelievable response to eager to additional perceive the state of affairs.
“Mr Taramasso should perceive that if a few of my riders have some issues or doubts about something relating to our bike, it’s my job, my duty, as crew supervisor to analyze the difficulty and provides options to my riders.
“I perceive that is my job, I do it this fashion and I can’t change.”
shares
feedback
