Pirelli “en plein” in the Indonesian heat: fastest races ever and record laps

Lightning-fast races and record laps with fully standard tyres
 
“Here too in Lombok, Indonesia, Pirelli tyres have shone, with outstanding results in both classes, not only on the flying lap, but also regarding the race length, proving their great consistency and versatility. Already on Friday, in terms of absolute performance, they played a crucial part in greatly improving the all-time lap records, while today they set new race lap records with Canet and Holgado. As for the races, they were much faster than last year, with average improvements per lap of more than one second and, above all, very consistent, considering that a whopping 16 riders lapped under the 2023 race lap record in Moto3™, and all three riders on the podium did so for at least 16 out of 20 laps of the race. And these results were obtained in less than favourable conditions, given the extreme asphalt temperatures – sometimes above 60 Celsius degrees – thus showing our tyres’ versatility and adaptability, even more if we consider that they are not prototypes only professional riders have access to, but standard tyres any rider can buy, as they are regularly sold on the market. Now we move to Japan for the next GP at Motegi, a circuit we know little about, and we can’t wait to see our tyres in action.”

Moto2™

· The soft SC0 rear and soft SC1 front combination remains the favourite by riders in this class, as these compounds offer greater grip than medium ones, especially in hot conditions. The only two riders who made a different choice were Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia/Kalex), who used a medium SC2 for the front wheel, and Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team/Kalex), who preferred the medium SC1 for the rear wheel.

· Aron Canet (Fantic Racing/Kalex) won from pole position and set a new race lap record in 1’33.840 on lap four, a time almost 6 tenths faster than the previous lap record. 10 riders in total completed at least one lap below the track record set in 2023 by Pedro Acosta.

· The race, with the asphalt reaching 63°C, finished in 34’41.557 and was more than 10 seconds faster than the 2023 race (34’51.641), with an average lap improvement of almost 6 tenths of a second.

Moto3™

· SC2 compound tyres were the most used in the race, on both front and rear wheels. Out of a total of 26 riders at the start, 19 chose to mount the medium SC2 compound on the rear wheel, while the rest opted for the soft SC1. The medium SC2 was chosen by 18 riders for the front wheel.

· David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team/CFMOTO) won the race after starting from the fifth position on the grid. The Colombian rider used medium SC2 tyres on both axles. Same choice also for third-placed David Munoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM), while Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing/Honda) raced with the soft SC1 rear compound.

· On lap three, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3/GASGAS), sixth at the finish line, set a new race record lap in 1’37.936, exactly one second faster than the previous record set by Ivan Ortolá in 2023, and also 8.5 tenths better than the old all-time lap record. The Spanish rider used medium SC2 compound tyres for both axles.

· 16 riders raced under the track record lap set in 2023, with the three riders on the podium completing at least 16 laps out of a total of 20 under the previous record. The average lap time, including the starting time, was 1’38.870, 1.2 seconds faster than last year, and also faster than the 2023 lap record.
 
· The race was run at 60 Celsius degrees in 32’57.410, almost 22 seconds faster than last year’s race, held in similar conditions. Therefore, the average lap improvement was over 1 second.