Dunlop ready for 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships at the Sachsenring

Moto2 & Moto3 InFocus: July 

Dunlop ready for 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships at the Sachsenring

Round nine of the 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships get underway at the Sachsenring in Germany this weekend (15 July). Sachsenring is one of the hardest tracks on the schedule for tyres, with the circuit’s uneven combination of corners (10 left-hand turns and three right), coupled with the abrasive surface, meaning heat generation is key. Despite that, tyre performance was excellent last year, with seven of the Moto2 riders setting the fastest times in the closing three laps. The experienced Dunlop engineers have selected a harder compound rear across both classes, to offer grip, stability and durability for the two lightweight classes. 

June Recap – Catalunya and Assen deliver thrillers

Round seven took place at Catalunya and teenager Fabio Quartararo became the second youngest ever winner of a Moto2 race, beaten only by Marc Marquez. The 19 year-old is also the youngest ever French winner. The event saw varying weather across the weekend, with all tyre options working well in all temperatures. Enea Bastianini took his first pole and victory of 2018 in Moto3.

Assen was the venue for round eight and saw Jorge Martin clinch his fourth Moto3 win of the season to take the series lead. Aron Canet took second, smashing the lap record on his way. Jakub Kornfiel made good use of his choice to run the softer compound Moto3 front and came through the field from 23rd to fifth in a race that was 24 seconds faster than 2017. Francesco Bagnaia dominated the Moto2 sessions; fastest in every one, he took a fourth victory to extend his series lead. Qualifying was close, with the top 22 covered by a second, and the race was nine seconds faster than in 2017.

Mid-season review, round by round

Qatar

• Francesco Bagnaia took his maiden Moto2 win with a lights to flag victory
• Both Moto2 option tyres had excellent performance, 10 riders setting their fastest lap in the second half of the race, with three on the final lap
• Jorge Martin won Moto3 by the smallest of margins, just 0.023 ahead of Aron Canet in a race nine seconds faster than last year

Argentina

• Argentina saw two new pole sitters, Xavi Vierge (Moto2) and Tony Arbolino (Moto3). Marco Bezecchi took his maiden Moto3 win
• Mattia Pasini was the only rider to select the extra hard Moto2 tyre and took his first win of the season

America

• The harder Moto3 option tyre had the advantage during the latter stages on the milled surface of the Circuit of the Americas and saw the lead change every lap

Spain

• 28 riders chose the harder rear H3 tyre at Jerez, a first in Moto3
• Former ForeverForward winner Philipp Oettl came through to take his first Moto3 win
• Lorenzo Baldassarri smashed the pole record and lap record on his way to Moto2 victory

France

• Lap records were broken across both classes at Le Mans; Jorge Martin leading 16 riders under the previous lap record in qualifying
• Marco Bezzecchi selected the S1 rear in Moto2 and matched Martin’s times throughout the race, with Martin on the medium tyres claiming a record lap
• Francesco Bagnaia broke the Moto3 pole time by half a second, to take his first win

Italy

• Jorge Martin secured a fourth 2018 pole in Moto3, the top eight under the previous record at Mugello. He went on to take the win, with five-hundredths of a second separating the top three at the finish
• Bezzecchi took the lap record in a race that saw temperatures reach 50 degrees, and competitive lap times throughout

Catalunya

• Catalunya marked the first Moto2 win for a French rider; 19 year-old Fabio Quartararo also becoming the second youngest ever (to Marc Marquez)
• There were varying weather conditions across the weekend with both tyre options working extremely well in all temperatures
• Enea Bastiannini took his first pole and win of the season in Moto3

Netherlands

• Jorge Martin took a fourth win of the season to take the Moto3 lead in Assen, with Aron Canet (second), claiming a new lap record
• Jakub Kornfeil made best use of his soft option front to come through the Moto3 field gaining a staggering 18 places to finish fifth 
• The Moto3 race was 24 seconds faster than last years
• Francesco Bagnaia topped every session in Moto2, scoring his fourth Moto2 win and extending his championship lead

#ForeverForward 2018

Miguel Oliviera has extended his lead at the top of Dunlop’s ForeverForward tables, the overtaking league rewarding riders for their fightbacks through the field. The Moto2 rider has shown great determination in the opening races and has five times made it into the podium positions, with 15 places gained in Catalunya his most improved performance on his start position. Alonso Lopez was top mover in Catalunya (19), and Jakub Kornfeil (18) in Assen. After eight rounds the biggest movers so far have been Moto3 riders Aron Canet and Jaume Masia who improved 20 places in Le Mans and Mugello respectively. Mugello has produced the highest number of positions gained across the two races, a staggering 227 places, compared to the lowest in Qatar (147)

#ForeverForward after round eight:

1. Miguel OLIVEIRA (Moto2) 65
2. Alonso LOPEZ (Moto3) 49                   
3. Jakub KORNFEIL (Moto3) 48
4. Dennis FOGGIA (Moto3) 47
5. Iker LECUONA (Moto2) 46
6. Andrea LOCATELLI (Moto2) 44
7. Livio LOI (Moto3) 44
8. Brad BINDER (Moto2) 43
9. Jaume MASIA (Moto3) 41
10. Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT (Moto3) 39

The full #ForeverForward table can be seen here.

Round 9: Sachsenring – 15 July 2018

• The abrasive nature and unequal mix of corners, featuring 10 left-hand turns and three right, means heat generation is key
• One of the hardest tracks on the schedule for tyres, the Dunlop engineers have selected two compounds including the extra hard ‘S1’ in Moto2, and H3 in Moto3 to offer optimum grip and durability 

Sachsenring Track Facts:

• Length: 3.671km
• Left Turns: 10
• Right Turns: 3
• Energy level: High
• Left:right bias: 70% / 30%

Tyre Allocation Sachsenring: 

Moto2       
Front: Medium '2' (yellow)
Rear: Medium ‘3’ (yellow) / Extra Hard ‘S1’ 

Moto3
Front: Soft (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M’ (black on silver)
Rear: Medium ‘M1’ (black on silver) / Hard ‘H3’ (yellow on black)

Sachsenring 2017 Highlights

• Tyre performance across both races was excellent with consistent, competitive lap times throughout the races
• Seven of the Moto2 riders set their fastest lap during the last three laps of the race, including three on the final tour
• Franco Morbidelli claimed his sixth win of the year in Moto2, from pole, winning by just 0.066sec
• Joan Mir’s victory was even closer, fifth Moto3 victory just 0.1sec from Romano Fenati (on the medium tyre)

2018 Tyre Specifications

The 2018 specification tyres remain similar to last season but see an increase in the number of sets available in Moto2. Eight pieces of the No.2 front will be allocated to each team. Data gathered from last year allows Dunlop to carefully select the best tyres for each race, offering a number of options of the Moto2 rear, designed to cater for the demands of different tracks and surfaces. The options for Moto3 remain the same as last season, and once again will offer the best grip and increased durability.

In response to requests from the fans, Dunlop has simplified its colour coding across Moto2, starting with the opening race in Qatar. Dunlop takes a different selection of tyre options to each event for the riders and teams to select from, however this year only the softest option tyre of that weekend’s range will be colour coded bright yellow. This year, the change only applies to Moto2, but Dunlop will seek feedback from fans and commentators before deciding on implementing a similar system in Moto3 next year.