2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Four - Queensland Raceway

Michelin Day 3 Report

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) won Michelin’s 26th premier-class World Championship at Valencia today after the most exciting MotoGP season ever. The American’s success completed Michelin’s 100 per cent record in the five 990cc MotoGP World Championships and also secured its 15th consecutive premier-class crown.

2006 has been another year of phenomenal success for Michelin. The French tyre brand has won 13 of the year’s 17 races, taken 11 pole positions, scored 12 fastest laps, filled 40 of 51 podium places and taken eight of the top nine World Championship positions.

Hayden won his first world title with a perfectly judged ride to third place this afternoon, after sole title rival Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin) spoiled his chances by sliding off on lap five. The Italian, winner of the previous five premier-class titles, remounted to finish 13th and end the season just five points down on Hayden.

“Today was another dramatic day in what has been a dramatic season, our congratulations to Nicky for doing a great job,” said Nicolas Goubert, who completed his stint as Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing today, passing the baton to his successor Jean-Philippe Weber. “This has been another great season for us. The lap times kept improving during 2006, as they have done throughout the 990cc era, and I’m really happy that we have maintained the advantage in MotoGP that we had in 500 GPs. The world’s three major motorcycle tyre manufacturers now compete head to head in MotoGP but we still come out well ahead every year, and that is something of which we are very proud. We had many good performances in 2006 and it was particularly good to win at Sepang, where we got beaten in 2005. Also, we have never been beaten in a wet MotoGP race!”

Hayden, winner of three MotoGP races with Michelin, said: “I’m still looking at the race results to make sure I’m not dreaming, but dreams do come true! Thanks to all the people who’ve been behind me – my family, my friends, Repsol Honda, Michelin, everyone. Michelin don’t win all these races and world titles by being lucky, they put in the work and take the information from the riders. We’ve seen a lot of improvements since I first came to MotoGP, like the bigger front and the wider profile rears. I was the first guy to race the wider profile front last year, it gives me a lot more confidence and grip, especially into downhill corners. When I started using it last year my results really improved. The 2006 rear made a big difference for me because it gives more and when we started using this year’s bike we were looking for more edge grip. I liked it as soon as I got on it.”

Michelin has scored more than 350 victories in premier-class motorcycling racing since 1973.

MICHELIN AND THE 2006 MotoGP CHAMPIONSHIP

Michelin’s tyres continued to deliver improved performance during 2006. Riders were offered two different fronts, the latest version of the original 16.5 front introduced in 2004 (available in a new construction since June) and a slightly wider profile front introduced during 2005. Some riders (Rossi, Edwards, Pedrosa, Roberts Junior) prefer the narrow profile tyre for its superior direction-changing ability, others (Hayden, Melandri, Stoner, Elias, Tamada) prefer the wider tyre for its extra corner-entry grip. The bigger profile rear slick was used by all Michelin riders throughout 2006, offering more edge grip for more corner speed.

“We changed front tyre construction for 2006 and that gave better performance into corners, so riders can keep the brakes on into the corner, even at high lean angles,” said Goubert. “The big thing about the 2006 rear is that it definitely offers a lot more edge grip.”

MICHELIN MotoGP DEVELOPMENT & THE LEGACY OF THE 990s

“From 2001 to 2002 we worked a lot on traction because we knew that there was going to be a big jump in horsepower from the 500 two-strokes to the 990cc four-strokes. Since 2002 we have continued to improve traction but mostly we have worked on edge grip to give riders more grip at maximum lean because engine-management systems have made the bikes easier to ride, so riders can get on the throttle sooner out of corners.

“We have also focused on improving the corner-entry performance of our front tyres, because this is the area where riders can overtake rivals. By giving riders more corner-entry grip they can brake deeper into corners, even at quite high lean angles, which means they can start braking a little later.

“The combination of the four-stroke machines and improvements in tyre performance have changed riding styles. The extra front-end grip means that riders take a smoother line into the corners and then they have more edge grip once they’re in the corner, so they can use more corner speed, and thanks to engine management they can also open the throttle earlier. As a result of these improvements, MotoGP riding styles have mutated towards a 250 riding style, with smoother, sweeping corner trajectories.”

MICHELIN & MotoGP’s 800cc FUTURE

“We still don’t have an exact idea of what the 800s will be like because although Honda and Yamaha have tested their 800s with their MotoGP riders, they’ve been concentrating on winning the last 990 title. From what we have seen there won’t be a huge difference from a tyre point of view. During the Motegi test the 800s were already close to the 990 lap times, even though Motegi is a horsepower track, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the 800s are faster next year at slower tracks like Valencia. The bikes aren’t lighter but they are more compact, and because the engines are smaller the engineers can position them better, so the bikes are more agile, so they can change direction better and probably more corner speed.”

MICHELIN’S ROLL CALL OF PREMIER-CLASS WORLD CHAMPIONS
1976 Barry Sheene (Texaco Heron Team Suzuki RG500-Michelin)
1977 Barry Sheene (Texaco Heron Team Suzuki RG500-Michelin)
1981 Marco Lucchinelli (Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki RG500-Michelin)
1982 Franco Uncini (Gallina Suzuki RG500-Michelin)
1983 Freddie Spencer (Honda NS500-Michelin)
1985 Freddie Spencer (Rothmans Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1986 Eddie Lawson (Marlboro Yamaha YZR500-Michelin)
1987 Wayne Gardner (Rothmans Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1988 Eddie Lawson (Marlboro Yamaha YZR500-Michelin)
1989 Eddie Lawson (Rothmans Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1990 Wayne Rainey (Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha YZR500-Michelin)
1992 Wayne Rainey (Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha YZR500-Michelin)
1993 Kevin Schwantz (Lucky Strike Suzuki RGV500-Michelin)
1994 Mick Doohan (Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1995 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1996 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1997 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1998 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin)
1999 Alex Crivillé (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin)
2000 Kenny Roberts (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin)
2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin)
2002 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin)
2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin)
2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin)
2005 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin)
2006 Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin)

MICHELIN SUCCESSES DURING THE 990 MotoGP ERA, 2002-2006
75 of 82 victories 91.5%
75 of 82 fastest laps 91.5%
225 of 246 podiums 91.4 %
69 of 82 pole positions 84.1%
42 of top ten championship positions 2002-2006 84.0%

MICHELIN RIDERS IN THE 2006 MotoGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin)
2nd Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin)
4th Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin)
5th Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin)
6th Kenny Roberts Junior (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin)
7th Colin Edwards (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin)
8th Casey Stoner (Honda LCR RC211V-Michelin)
9th Toni Elias, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin)
12th Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V-Michelin)