MotoGP, Bonora, Aprilia: "The choice of tires? It depends on the rider"

Paolo Bonora, Aprilia’s Race Manager, is always one of the most sincere technicians in the paddock. When asked about the choice of tires - one of the problems of today's Texas GP - he explained its complexity.

"First of all, the temperatures are very different than those of the Sprint Race, even if they could increase later," he said. Then he added: "The soft tire must be managed properly. It's a difficult choice, because both Michelins perform well, and Viñales  likes both. It depends a lot on what his rivals do. It wouldn't make sense to race with different tires. Here, wear depends on the riding style, who’s able to lift the bike first, doing the so-called ‘pick up’ very early. It wears it out less on the corner, but the first laps also count a lot."

It goes without saying that, yesterday, Bagnaia’s and Bastianini’s words - as they pointed a finger at the performance of the tires, without actually accusing Michelin - sparked many comments. However, it’s actually clear that the performance of a tire varies greatly from rider to rider, not only due to the differences in mechanics and set-up, but also due to the riding style.