Pierre Alves
Endurance Programme Manager,
Michelin Motorsport
“The FIA World Endurance Championship returns to Austin after the 2017 race when the thermometer reached more than 40°C. This time, we are there in winter and the temperature is likely to...
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Pierre Alves
Endurance Programme Manager,
Michelin Motorsport
“The FIA World Endurance Championship returns to Austin after the 2017 race when the thermometer reached more than 40°C. This time, we are there in winter and the temperature is likely to range from 10 to 20°C, and the weather promises to be changeable. With regard to tyres, the Circuit of the Americas is harder on tread compounds than it is on casings, and it’s the only anticlockwise track on the calendar. The lap starts with a steep climb up to Turn 1 which calls for heavy braking that puts big constraints on the front tyres. The next nine corners enable the drivers to get good heat into their tyres before the second part of the circuit which comprises a long straight, more hard braking and a sequence of turns out of which the cars reaccelerate hard. Parts of the track have been resurfaced to iron out the many bumps, but fewer bumps mean higher speeds and that equates to extra energy our tyres will need to absorb. I wo
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