11
May
2018
|
10:52 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

Fiercely contested Dunlop Moto2 and Moto3 campaigns resume in France and Italy

Moto2 & Moto3 InFocus: May 

Fiercely contested Dunlop Moto2 and Moto3 campaigns resume in France and Italy

The opening four rounds of the 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships have produced some thrilling battles where the Dunlop tyres have provided optimum grip and stability for the lightweight classes. Round five takes place on 20 May at Le Mans, France, a circuit on which Dunlop has had considerable success, including second place in the recent EWC race with Honda Racing, and where it remains the most successful tyre in the history of the Le Mans 24h for cars and bikes. From Le Mans, the teams head to Mugello, Italy on 3 June, scene of two of the closest finishes in both class’s history in 2017.

April Recap – Historic firsts and records galore

Argentina was a weekend of firsts with both Moto2 and Moto3 seeing new pole-sitters in the form of Xavi Vierge and Tony Arbolino. Marco Bezzecchi then took his maiden Moto3 win, and Mattia Pasini, the only rider to select the extra hard rear tyre, his first Moto2 win of the season. 

America saw a return to form for Jorge Martin, back on top in Moto3 qualifying, which he converted to victory in the race. The race was a close run affair, the lead changing nearly every lap. The riders chose a mixture of tyre options on the milled surface, and those on the harder option had the advantage in the latter stages of the race. In Moto2 Alex Marquez secured his second pole of the season and led for the first eight laps before Francesco Bagnaia swept past to take the win. Lap times were reduced across both classes, as a result of the track being milled prior to the event, which was done to remove bumps left from a previous car race.

Jerez marked a major milestone in that 28 riders in the Moto3 race chose the harder H3 rear, a first in Moto3. Former #ForeverForward winner Philipp Oettl came through to win his first Moto3 race, Marco Bezzecchi finished second and took the championship lead, while Marcos Ramirez scored his first podium finish of the year. In Moto2 Lorenzo Baldassarri set a new record on his way to his first pole position of 2018, and converted that to victory and another lap record in a race that saw excellent tyre performance and competitive lap times throughout the race. 

#ForeverForward 2018

Dunlop’s ForeverForward Award is close at the top after four rounds, the top eight are separated by just four points. The league showcases a rider’s determination and commitment across both Moto2 and Moto3 classes, with a point awarded for every place gained from start to finish position. Top overtaker after four rounds is Moto3 racer Marcos Ramirez, who gained 14 places in Jerez on his way to his podium finish. Top mover so far is Jaume Masia who gained 20 places in Jerez, fighting his way through from 25th to fifth at the end of the Moto3 race. Both were the only two riders to choose the medium option tyre in Spain.

#ForeverForward after round four:

  1. Marcos Ramirez (Moto3)                28
  2. Jakub Kornfeil (Moto3)                    27
  3. Ikey Lecuona (Moto2)                     27
  4. Andrea Locatelli (Moto2)                26
  5. Marcel Schrotter (Moto2)               25
  6. Livio Loi (Moto3)                              25
  7. Miguel Oliviera (Moto2)                   25

The full #ForeverForward table can be seen here.

Round 5: Le Mans – 20 May 2018

Le Mans Track Facts:

  • Length: 4.2km
  • Left Turns: 5
  • Right Turns: 9
  • Energy level: Mid/High
  • Left:right bias: 40% / 60%

Tyre Allocation Le Mans: 
Moto2       

Front: Medium '2' (yellow)
Rear: Extra Soft ‘0’ (yellow) / Soft ‘2R1’ 

Moto3
Front: Soft (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M’ (black on silver)
Rear: Soft 'S1' (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M1’ (black on silver)

Le Mans 2017 Highlights

  • Franco Morbidelli took his fourth Moto2 win of the season on his way to the crown, breaking the lap record by half a second

Round 6: Mugello – 3 June 2018

Mugello Track Facts:

  • Length: 5.5km
  • Left Turns: 11
  • Right Turns: 9
  • Energy level: mid/high
  • Left:right bias: 55%/45%

Tyre Allocation Mugello: 
Moto2       

Front: Medium '2' (yellow)
Rear: Extra Soft ‘0’ (yellow) / Soft ‘2R1’ 

Moto3
Front: Soft ‘S’ (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M’ (black on silver)
Rear: Soft ‘S1’ (black on yellow) / Medium ’M1’ (black on silver)

Mugello 2017 Highlights

  • A crash caught out nearly half the Moto3 field but Joan Mir came through to win and break the lap record by half a second
  • The Moto3 race was the closest ever finish in the lightweight class, and gave Andrea Migno his first win, and on his home track
  • Mattias Pasini scored his first Moto2 win in a race in which the top three were covered by a tenth of a second

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.

Moto2Moto3
Medium '2' (Front) (black on yellow)Soft 'S'/'S1' (black on yellow)
Supersoft '0'Medium 'M'/'M1' (black on silver)
Soft '2R1'Hard 'H3' (yellow on black)
Medium '3' 
Hard '4' 
Extra Hard 'S1' 
Special Hard 'S2'