After the long haul trip to China the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe this weekend as the series lands in France at the legendary Bugatti circuit of Le Mans, built in 1965 around the existing 24 Hour circuit. Located 200km south-west of Paris, Le Mans always brings together motorsport fans from all over central and northern Europe. With a tough Grand Prix of China now behind them, the Fortuna Honda riders are looking forward to the Grand Prix of France with renewed optimism. Marco Meandri and Toni Elias, and indeed the rest of the team, are determined to resolve the problems they found at the Shanghai circuit as they prepare for another huge challenge. MARCO MELANDRI: “Every race is a different story and for that reason I am looking forward to the GP of France with confidence. We have the knowledge and resources to analyse the problems we found at Shanghai and we will do our best to find the adequate solutions. It will be important to start well in the first free practice session and find a good base setting that will allow me to adapt the bike as best as possible to Le Mans. The Bugatti circuit is characterised by a lot of hard braking and it requires a riding style that favours good braking on the entry and throttle control on the exit to make the most out of each corner. Le Mans is notorious for the hard braking, it is a really demanding layout but I actually quite like it because it can be fun to ride. It is not one of the most technical circuits in the world but you can enjoy yourself there.” TONI ELIAS: “I like Le Mans and I have a lot of good memories of it. I actually scored my first ever Grand Prix podium at this track in 2001 when I finished third in the 125cc race and I won here in the 250cc class in 2003. In fact, I’ve been on the podium here four times in the last five years. Unfortunately the thought of my crash here during testing last year counterbalances the good memories. I’m sure when I get to that first chicane for the first time this weekend the crash that broke my right wrist will come into my mind, but that certainly won’t prevent me from giving it my very best. I’m feeling highly motivated and I hope that the GP of China can serve as a point of reflection to analyse the problems we have had and start off on the right foot this Friday. My team is doing a great job and I will also give my best to take another step forward.” THE TRACK The history of Le Mans is most famously linked to car racing, with the Bugatti circuit annually hosting the world famous 24 Hour race. Two-wheeled machines, however, only use a part of the legendary track – the permanent short course – sharing the start line to the Chapelle corner with the cars, who then head out into the countryside to following the 24 Hour route. The bikes continue around a tortuous design that is riddled with first gear corners, followed by hard acceleration and long straights. The most impressive section is without doubt the extremely fast right-hander at the end of the start-finish straight, which is followed by a chicane which requires a nimble change in direction at high speed as well as lots of courage and cold blood. Interesting fact: The Le Mans circuit can be considered a home track for MICHELIN, the French tyre manufacturers, who have won ten of the past eleven races held at this venue. FOCUS: TYRE WARMERS MotoGP is developing more and more into a battle of the tyre manufacturers. In order to go fast you must be wearing the best ‘shoes’ and in this aspect the Fortuna Honda team can count on the support of MICHELIN, French brand leaders in the tyre sector. Thanks to the quality of Michelin products and the use of tyre warmers, which have developed from a simply way of heating up the rubber into instruments of the highest technology, a rider is able to rely on maximum grip from his tyres from the moment he leaves his pit box. But how do the tyre warmers work? Heating rubber is not a casual occurrence – the appropriate materials have to be used and, above all, the right temperatures reached in accordance with the compound and construction of the tyre. The job of the tyre warmers is not to “cook” the tyres but to bring them up to the right temperature without affecting their original characteristics. Here are some facts to allow a better understanding of tyre warmers and their function. Thermal curve: A standard tyre warmer reaches up to 80°C, taking between 50 and 60 minutes to bring the tyre up to the required temperature. On the inside there is a sensor that works as a thermostat, interrupting the heating process once the tyre has reached the right temperature and then restarting when it starts to cool. Materials: The construction of the tyre warmer is a kind of sandwich consisting of five different kinds of material. In contact with the tyre is a layer of transparent polyester, behind which are the carbon filaments that transport the electrical current. On top of another layer of polyester is a layer of thermal material, which limits the dispersion of heat, followed by the outer layer of hydro-repellent polyurethane. Fabrication: It takes six people around 120 minutes to make a standard tyre-warming cover and around 180 minutes for a custom version. The cost to the public varies from 600 to 800 euros. The key numbers 80°C – the ideal temperature 24 – the amount of tyre warmers required by a MotoGP team 2,300 cm² – the area of fabric required 4,000 cm – the length of carbon wire required for each tyre warmer 0,800 kg – the weight of the front tyre warmer 1,200 kg – the weight of the rear tyre warmer Team Fortuna Honda’s tyre warmers are provided by TT Thermal Technology, a specialist Italian company in the sector. TT tyre warmers have been produced in conjunction with the world’s leading tyre manufacturers and engineers from Team Gresini.