MOTOGP: Michelin finalizes new front tire

Michelin has settled on the profile of its front MotoGP tire, following the Phillip Island pre-season test.

Returning to MotoGP this year after seven seasons of Bridgestone supply, Michelin's front tire concerned riders during the end-of-2015 tests. Following winter work by the French manufacturer, an upgraded front tire made its debut in limited supply late in the Sepang test, and further running at Phillip Island has cemented it as the chosen route.

"I think the decision is made for the profile," Michelin technical director Nicholas Goubert told MotoGP.com. "The last profile that we brought at Sepang worked really well, which was confirmed here, so all of the guys who tested it here said it was better and gave them more confidence, especially on the maximum edge. So we are going to go for that, and from Qatar test, that will be the only profile we will have, and of course from the beginning of the season."

While teams and riders lamented mixed weather conditions during the three days of running in Australia – with the opening day branded a waste – rain did offer a chance to learn more about Michelin's wet range.

Goubert said the feedback was positive.

"They were happy with the warm-up," he added. "The warm-up in the wet is something very important, because the riders have to feel confident from when they first go out, and it's what they did. They were very confident and the consistency was good as well."

A question mark remains over Michelin's new-for-MotoGP intermediate tire, which has so far only been used by a handful of riders across the two tests.

"We don't have a lot of riders who tried that, maybe only a couple and only for a few laps," Goubert said. "It could be a bit tricky to test properly, because you have to go out when it is still halfway, maybe you don't really know the limit, then the next curve it's dry.

"The lap time was really good, so that's encouraging, but I think they will need more training and to give us proper feedback. So we have to wait a little bit more to know if we have the right answer or not."

Originally on Autosport.com