After those responsible for Honda and Michelin in the MotoGP World Championship got involved in an exchange of statements on account of the change introduced by the French manufacturer in the allocation of tires for the Indonesian Grand Prix , this weekend the pilots have entered of the winged mark on stage.
Pol Espargaró, who already hit the sole supplier during the weekend in Lombok, reaffirmed himself in his statements this Thursday at Termas de Río Hondo, directly attacking Michelin.
Another of those affected, the LCR-Honda rider Alex Márquez, was also questioned by the media during the run-up to the Argentine Grand Prix, and the Catalan spared no explanations when asked if he had been able to speak to Michelin after what happened at Mandalika.
“This is a good question to start with. I think it is something that they have to improve for the future, something that they have to change, ”said the LCR player.
“You can’t suddenly change the tire allocation, I mean we were in Indonesia for three days doing tests because they [Michelin] asked for those tests to test the tyres. We saw that it was clear that the compounds were not going to last 27 laps, but for the future I think it would be interesting not to change the casing for one that was not assigned for three years”, he argued.
“Therefore, if the tires cannot last 27 laps, the race can be shortened, or flag-to-flag, something that, as we have seen in the past, is also very nice for the show. But to change the assignment, I think it’s not really fair. Not because we’ve had a lot of problems, because maybe on another track we’ll do well and another factory won’t”.
Márquez understands that each manufacturer must solve their problems, but the tire manufacturer must also do the same.
“Michelin also needs to not only focus on the problems that the manufacturers have, but also on their own and build something together, because if they always say that it was someone else’s fault and they did not see the problems, they will repeat themselves in the future. So I think it’s important to work together, understand what happened and look for solutions together. Being a little more transparent will be better for everyone in the future.”
Finally, Alex Márquez valued the response that Michelin gave to Honda for the problems in Indonesia, when he said that it was the team that did not know how to set up the bikes.
“Michelin’s response was simply to try to preserve its good image. But this is just a business and it is normal. Honda also wants to have a good image. We need to see the problems to improve, otherwise it will be impossible. But I think it’s normal, I think we can have solutions for the future.”
Mir: “It was like changing tire brands”
Also Joan Mir, a Suzuki rider, was one of those affected by Michelin’s decision to change the tire casing in Indonesia.
“I already spoke very clearly on this subject, of course the carcass that was taken to Indonesia did not benefit us at all, I suffered a lot, I had many scares, I went from being in Qatar among the first five in all the training sessions to fighting to be on the 15th in Indonesia. There was a pretty big problem, we worked two or three years with some tires and now they come with others that we had not tested, “explained the man from Suzuki .
“I said and I maintain that I understand the situation why Michelin brought those tires, they wanted to be cautious and considered that (with the standard ones) they were not going to finish the race, but changing a casing is almost like changing the brand of tires, it changes a lot the motorcycle character. The bad thing is that it didn’t benefit us, and others did well”.
“In any case, we have to leave Indonesia behind, take out the positive and hopefully these tires don’t bring them anymore, or if they do, they give us the opportunity before working with them and being able to make them work. If they continue to use them, you have to understand them.”
“Here we go back to the usual cases and that is important because we will improve the bike in a real way”, concluded the 2020 world champion.
Miguel Oliveira, KTM rider and winner of the Indonesian race with the controversial tires, approached the issue from a different perspective, logically, but he understands Honda’s position since he has been through the same situation.
“We were already on the other side. We know how much tires influence the performance of MotoGP bikes. Some bikes are built towards one direction and all of a sudden you don’t have that tire anymore and of course it’s a huge percentage in terms of the difference in performance.”
“I understand (Honda’s) frustration, but I also understand that Michelin had to react quickly and accordingly with the data they got from the test. It’s a world where you can’t leave everyone happy.”
“I think we have to create a more inclusive environment so that the Michelin technicians cooperate more with the teams and with the engineers, so that in the end we can arrive at the solution that can finally work for all the manufacturers”, proposes the Portuguese.
