MOTO2 & MOTO 3 2015
INTRODUCTION TO 2015 2015 sees all riders in the intermediate and lightweight classes of the FIM MotoGP World Championship continuing to compete on Dunlop tyres. Dunlop and Dorna renewed the long-term partnership at the end of the 2014 season, with this season being the sixth year of supplying Moto2 and fourth year of Moto3. Moto2 continues to produce ultra-competitive racing. Several riders from the Dunlop one-brand series have more than held their own in the top formula including reigning champion Marc Marquez, with 2013 Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding not only moving to MotoGP for 2014 but finishing very creditably 6th and 12th respectively in the standings. Maverick Viñales is the sole Moto2 graduate for 2015. For the Moto2 600cc four-stroke motorcycles, Dunlop provides tyres that combine consistency and competitiveness with parity across the different chassis manufacturers. Two tyre options are available for each round with two compounds selected by Dunlop to suit each particular circuit. Moto3 was the only one of the three MotoGP championships going to the wire in 2014 and saw Alex Marquez crowned. Jack Miller did everything he could at that last round in Spain but winning the race wasn t enough. Miller s season performance was enough though to earn a place in MotoGP with Alex Marquez making the same leap. The 250cc four-stroke engines are open to manufacturer competition unlike Moto2 which has a controlled Honda engine. Dunlop has three slick compounds available with two front and two rear compounds selected for each round. RACE CALENDAR 2015 29 March 12 April 19 April 03 May 17 May Qatar Doha/Losail Americas Austin Argentina Termas del Rio Hondo Spain Jerez de la Frontera France Le Mans 31 May 14 June 27 June 12 July 09 Aug Italy Mugello Catalunya Catalunya Barcelona Netherlands Assen Germany Sachsenring Indianapolis Indianapolis 16 Aug 30 Aug 13 Sept 27 Sept 1 Oct Czech Republic Brno Great Britain Silverstone San Marino Marco Simoncelli Misano Aragon MotorLand Aragon Japan Motegi 18 Oct 25 Oct 08 Nov Australia Philip Island Malaysia Sepang Valencia Ricardo Tormo Valencia
REVOLUTION EVOLUTION Evolving bikes and changing circuits continually change the demands on tyres even though this is a one-brand contract, Dunlop never stands still and continually develops one-brand tyre specifications. Riders tend to think that the hardness of the compound is what matters but at Misano Tito Rabat was 0.2 seconds per lap quicker than his 2013 overall race time using new Hard 3 tyres with the same compound but different construction. The perception from this lap time and performance was that the tyre was three steps softer. Dunlop tyres are designed to perform as consistently throughout a race as possible. Motegi s Moto2 race was an excellent example of performance with a new fastest lap being set an impressive thirteen times throughout the 23 lap race. 2014 In Numbers 50 12 0.010 18 49 new circuit and best time records different race winners seconds the closest race win (Mugello Moto3 ) degrees centigrade the ambient temperature at Brno, Silverstone and Aragon degrees the track temperature at Sepang 2015 MOTO2 TYRES EASY AS 1-2-3 Three new 2015 specification tyres were introduced six months early at Misano and Aragon for the Moto2 riders. The new specifications used in Misano ( Hard 3 and Medium 2 ) and Aragon ( Soft 1 ) were all used very successfully. The Medium 2 and Hard 3 even had their first wins with Maverick Viñales taking the flag in Aragon using the front and Tito Rabat sporting the Hard 3 rear to win in Misano. The new for 2015 specification range are Soft 1, Medium 2, Hard 3 for front and rear with an additional rear-only Special Hard 4 option. #ForeverForward In 2015, we ll highlight the riders who show the most commitment, resilience and intuition by awarding the Dunlop Forever Forward award to the rider who gains the most positions during the season. Follow the rankings on @DunlopMoto.
COMPOUNDS TECHNOLOGY Dunlop has been developing tyres for over 125 years and continue to push boundaries and develop new technologies. The same NTEC pressureadjust technology that is used in Moto2, providing the ability to run at lower inflation pressures, giving a bigger contact patch, improving cornering grip and traction, is used on Dunlop tyres that the public can buy. The specifications Dunlop brings to the track constantly evolves with improvements being made as a result. 2015 specifications were introduced ahead of schedule in mid-2014. The colour coding remains the same for both Moto2 and Moto3 for spectators around the world to keep an eye on rider strategies. Last year saw Moto3 riders devoted to the medium specification all 18 race wins were on the Medium tyre. Moto2 was a different story with three different front and seven different rear specifications taking victory. Soft Hard Moto2 REAR COMPOUND: 9854/1 Moto3 FRONT & REAR COMPOUND: S Moto2 FRONT COMPOUND: 123/3 Moto2 REAR COMPOUND: 997/3 Moto3 FRONT & REAR COMPOUND: H Medium Special Hard MULTI-TREAD (MT) TECHNOLOGY Multi-Tread technology works by having a central traction compound that contacts the road when the motorcycle is upright and a tougher, cooler-running compound that maintains straight-line stability, traction, braking and longer tread life. The lateral compound contacts the road when the motorcycle is leaned over. It incorporates a rubber compound, which is developed specifically to enhance grip at maximum lean angles. JOINTLESS BELT (JLB) CONSTRUCTION JointLess Belt construction elimintates the belt overlap that can be found in some tyres, resulting in smoother handling. This type of construction also minimises dynamic growth of the tread centre at high speed, maintains a stable contact patch and reduces distortion and excessive heat build-up. NTEC Dunlop s ingenious NTEC pressure adjust system allows the rider to optimise the tyre by adjusting inflation pressure. For dry track days, deflating the tyre will deliver predictable and tenacious handling on the limit. Back on the road, re-inflating to the manufacturer s recommended pressures will reward the rider with class-leading levels of grip and performance. JLT Jointless Tread (JLT) strip-winding technology allows multiple compounds to be precisely positioned on the tyre to achieve advantages in durability, wear resistance, grip from the tread centre to shoulder and high-speed tyre stability. Moto2 FRONT COMPOUND: 302/2 Moto2 REAR COMPOUND: 067/4 Moto3 FRONT & REAR COMPOUND: M Moto2 REAR COMPOUND: 9855/2 Dunlop race previews will announce the tyre allocation for each race along with any new development and the number of tyres allocated for that weekend. To sign up for Dunlop race previews, visit motorsport.dunlop.eu/media
Press Officer Dunlop Motorsport Philippa Neilson Motorsport@dunloppress.eu Dunlop Motorsport s website All the latest news, results and images are just a click away. Plus you can sign-up for Dunlop s InTouch Moto e-newsletter. motorsport.dunlop.eu Media section Press releases, audio interviews, video and high resolution images can be downloaded from the media section. motorsport.dunlop.eu/media I am proud to be leading Dunlop s MotoGP service team this year after many years managing other Dunlop Motorsport championships. We keep striving for higher levels of performance, as shown by our early introduction of 2015 tyres in the final races of 2014. This year, we ll recognise the rider who fights back through the field with the new Dunlop #ForeverForward award. Simon Betney International Event Manager (MotoGP) simon_betney@goodyear.com I think 2014 was one of the best seasons ever Rabat s title was well deserved without having it all his own way and Moto3 gave us incredibly close racing. The battle between Miller and Marquez shows that every lap of every race can count. We had great feedback from teams and riders about the 2015 specification tyres that we introduced six months ahead of schedule. We can expect more lap records to be broken this year as back in the design office we focus on the next generation. Clinton Howe Motorcycle Race Central Business Manager clinton_howe@goodyear.com www.dunlop.eu Follow us... /DunlopMoto @DunlopMoto