DUCATI FACES A FRESH TEST WITH MICHELIN’S REINFORCED TYRE IN INDONESIA

Michelin’s reinforced tyre casing returns for the Indonesian Grand Prix, leaving Ducati to confront a familiar question: will the construction that caused problems at Mandalika last year again blunt its performance?

The casing is designed for demanding conditions. Mandalika’s heat, abrasive asphalt and fast layout require a tyre able to withstand high temperatures. Michelin also brings the reinforced version to races including Thailand, Brazil and Austria, and made a stiffer option available in Japan last weekend. The safety-focused construction can, however, provide slightly less grip than a standard tyre and change how a bike feels.

Ducati’s results with it have been inconsistent. The manufacturer won in Thailand and Austria on the casing last year, but its factory GP25s struggled at Mandalika, where Fermin Aldeguer dominated on a GP24. This season, Aprilia has generally adapted well to the stiffer tyre while Ducati has found it more difficult. Marc Marquez came close to the podium in Thailand and had the pace to challenge for one in Austria, then won in Japan using the reinforced hard tyre.

Gresini rider Alex Marquez pointed to differences between circuits and tyre specifications when asked about that Japanese result. “I think the new asphalt helped us a lot,” he said, adding that Motegi’s relatively soft rubber also suited the casing. The Mandalika version is not identical to the one used there, he explained: “Here this one is like more edge grip, compared to the one we had in Austria, and the grip level in this track always quite high. So, it can be different.”

Michelin is bringing the same casing used in Thailand to Indonesia, with compounds unchanged from last year. That makes Ducati’s previous Mandalika struggles a concern, and team manager Davide Tardozzi had already warned in Japan that he expected a difficult weekend.

Marquez, though, said he would approach the race by trying to attack. “I will try to attack every single circuit. This is the target; I will try to do my best,” he said. He added that he was feeling somewhat better and that the team had adjusted the bike’s setup. “So, let’s see. Obviously, it’s a circuit that suits Aprilia riders and Aprilia bike a bit better, and we will try to be close to them.”