English
Italiano
Johnny Rea showed up the MotoGP riders at Jerez astride his Kawasaki Superbike, improving on the pole position time Valentino Rossi made in the Grand Prix this year and creating quite an uproar. How did the Northern Irish rider manage such a feat on a factory derivative bike with steel brakes (the MotoGP bikes use carbon discs) fitted with the excellent Pirellis, very high performance tyres, with a construction and development philosophy that is the opposite of Michelin’s?
To clarify the situation, we heard from Giorgio Barbier manager for the Milan-based manufacturer on the battlefields. “Let’s make a couple of very simple observations – Barbier begins – Jerez is one of those tracks that the winter tests enhance its characteristics. In other words, when the asphalt is cold, the bikes have a lot more grip. In short: the colder it is at Jerez, the faster the bikes are and lap times drop.”
In all fairness, it was not only Rea who beat the MotoGP bikes on flying laps…
“I am not surprised and I’ll repeat myself. We have done several tests at Jerez and the cold temperatures favour us. I am happy to have seen the others go fast, including Melandri with his Ducati and Lowes with the Yamaha. However, if we were to come back to racing in Andalusia during a warmer period of the year, the times would not be as good as the ones we saw today. I’m not so sure, though. Many factors determine individual performance. In these cases, making predictions is anything but simple.”
Did you bring special material to Jerez for the test?
“No, we brought the material used at the end of the season. Pirelli provided the SBK riders at Jerez with tyres that were ‘stopped’ in terms of development. They were not different tyres from the ones used in the race two months ago. There were no specific tyres dedicated to this test.”
Did you have soft Superpole tyres?
“To be honest, no. Some teams had qualifying tyres in their garages, but to be honest I don’t know if they even used them. More than anything, another consideration should be made if we are to analyse the day of testing …”
Go on…
“I think that if the big names from MotoGP had been on the track, the Michelin prototype tyres would have made the flying lap times drop even more. And the time rankings would have been slightly different, but make no mistake – not drastically. I must also say that Michelin is working very well. It is not easy to start from zero as they have done and it takes a long time to achieve a uniform and absolute top notch performance level.”
Do you think that the different electronics between SBK and MotoGP bikes influenced at Jerez?
“People are always saying that the SBK machines have more advanced electronics than the prototypes, but I disagree. In MotoGP they are good at finding new solutions and advancements in every area of the bike, so I think that the technological level is comparable. Furthermore, the MotoGP bikes have more balanced frames, more powerful brakes and optimised weight distribution.”
How do the tyres work at Jerez?
“The layout of the Spanish track is rather particular. There are critical moments both for the front and the rear, so having the tyre ‘fine-tuned’ is anything but simple – to the contrary. At Jerez it takes a balance between the ability of the front tyre to go into the long, sweeping corners fast and that of the rear that must follow behind without leaving the trajectory. It only takes an instant to lose that riding harmony. At Jerez it is like navigating a gondola through Venice.”
Let’s throw this out there: with a Pirelli Superpole tyre, how far would the SBK times drop?
“Hmm, let’s say that in the hands of a Superpole specialist like Tom Sykes, a second per lap would be a very good guess. I can give you a little pre-announcement: we are working to supply the riders with a Superpole tyre that will last, not just one lap, but even a few laps more, which will favour the show both for the riders and the fans.”
Was that a request from Dorna?
“This is a decision that we took along with the teams. Not everyone loves the single-lap tyres and not all the teams have the right bike to use them. We spoke about this at length with the teams and with Dorna and we at Pirelli do not want to mimic the regulations in other championships. We will give the Superpole value with fast tyres that will last a few laps, during which the riders will be able to make a play for the front row.”
The next official Pirelli tests will be in the days prior to the Phillip Island round.
