• The eighth round of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship took place at the TT Circuit Assen in the presence of significant thermal variations.
• MICHELIN Power Slick tires performed consistently well across a wide temperature range throughout the weekend.
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) wins the race and sets all records.
This weekend, the MotoGP and MotoE paddocks stopped in the Netherlands, returning to the TT Circuit in Assen, located in the north of the country. Close to the beaches of the North Sea, this route, which has been on the calendar since 1949, offers variable weather conditions and strong thermal variations. A cold breeze from the sea sweeps the track, even in the middle of summer.
The 2024 edition of the Motul TT Assen confirmed this trend once again and clouds alternated with sunshine, especially on Friday and Sunday, while the Qualifying and the Tissot Sprint took place on Saturday under clear skies, without wind and with temperatures reaching 49°C on the ground during the afternoon.
On Friday, thanks to significant thermal variations, the drivers were able to test all tire specifications to prepare well for the weekend. The second qualifying session (Q2) highlighted a significant increase in performance compared to 2023. By achieving pole position, Francesco Bagnaia set the new absolute circuit record in 1’30.540. Note that the progression of times was illustrated by the first 10 drivers, all faster than the 2023 record.
The Tissot Sprint took place on Saturday from 15:00, when the heat was particularly intense (45°C to 49°C on the track surface). The majority of the drivers had chosen a Soft tyre at the rear, while at the front the field was divided between Hard and Medium. On a very demanding circuit heated by the sun, the versatility of the Michelin tyres allowed the drivers to maintain a high race pace over the entire 13 laps.
Francesco Bagnaia won the Tissot Sprint with an overall time 11s faster than last year’s time.
At the end of the event, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) were respectively on the second and third step of the podium.
On Sunday, when the riders woke up, the weather was very different from the previous day: cloudy skies and 16°C in the air, while an intense fresh breeze swept across the track. The wind always represents a double difficulty for the riders. On the one hand, it affects the riding by applying parasitic forces on the bike, on the other hand, it accelerates the natural cooling of the tires between corner exits and straights, thus producing greater variations in grip and pressure.
Fortunately, during the day, the clouds gradually cleared and by the time the Grand Prix started at 2:00 pm, the track temperature had risen to 38°C. Leading from start to finish, Francesco Bagnaia won the 2024 Motul TT Assen with a new time record: 40’07.214, 18s faster than his previous benchmark from 2022. This remarkable result is directly due to the consistency of his MICHELIN Power Slick Hard front and Medium rear tyres. Jorge Martin, who opted for the Soft rear compound, and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium for the event.
“The TT Circuit of Assen is a very technical track, with sequences that generate a lot of constraints for the tires. Even if the surface is not among the most abrasive of the season, we nevertheless decided to intervene on the front tires by repositioning the rubber compound of the MICHELIN Power Slick Hard. It was also a question of responding to the evolution of the motorcycles, always more powerful and loaded with aerodynamics. “, explain Piero Taramassomanager of Michelin’s two-wheel competition. “The decision proved to be a judicious one and the pilots who selected this option have expressed their satisfaction to us. I would also like to highlight the great versatility of the MICHELIN Power Slick rear tires: the Soft, which gave full satisfaction on Saturday on a very hot track without ever showing any sign of weakening, and the Medium on Sunday. The latter allowed the drivers to immediately achieve lap times identical to those of the Soft, while providing great consistency throughout the race. »
Weekend records
Best absolute lap: Francesco Bagnaia in 1’30.540 (-0.9s vs 2023)
Best lap in the race: Francesco Bagnaia in 1’31.866 (-0.6s vs 2022)
Duration of the Tissot Sprint: Francesco Bagnaia in 19’58.090 (-11s vs 2023)
Race duration: Francesco Bagnaia in 40’07.214 (-18s vs 2022)
