2023 Sepang MotoGP Report

Admin · November 14, 2023

The racing at Sepang in Malaysia was nowhere near as tight as the previous round in Thailand. Lap 1 is as tight as it got with the two factory Ducatis of Francesco Bagnaia (1) and Enea Bastianini (23) leading the way. (MotoGP/)

Strangeness! The rivals for the 2023 title, Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín, finished Sunday’s race in third and fourth respectively, while the surprise winner (where did he come from?) was recovered-from-injury Enea Bastianini followed by suddenly fast Álex Márquez. All four rode Ducatis.

Although the two title rivals would have been up front had they been able, they indulged in no risky foolishness like “jist goin’ fer it.” To finish first, you must first finish.

Want another surprise? In fifth was Fabio Quartararo on “The Little Engine that Couldn’t”—the factory Yamaha that has been chronically deficient in power and passing ability until now.

The two title rivals left Malaysia nearly as they arrived—with 14 points advantage to Bagnaia.

Bastianini, fourth in Saturday’s sprint race, just behind Bagnaia, said, “…I made the decision not to overtake Pecco because I’m not fighting for the world championship.”

Bastianini’s injury-plagued season finally got turned around with two races remaining. (MotoGP/)

After winning on Sunday he said, “…without the injury [at Portimão] my season could have been much better.

“Compared to the other races we have changed the engine-brak[ing].

“My main problem this year has always been the braking phase. Now I’m using the rear brake for the first time [with the thumb lever].

“…I am not continually making mistakes when braking, which until recently happened every lap. I’ve always said that when you get back to having fun you also go a lot faster.”

Álex Márquez had said on Friday, “Sometimes…things come to you naturally. Today was one of those days.”

After winning the sprint he said, “…everything happened in a very natural way from the first lap to the last…”

Bagnaia appeared cautiously fast all weekend, with a pair of podiums in the sprint and Sunday GP. (MotoGP/)

Bagnaia said, “It was one of the best Fridays in a long time—the first time that I didn’t ask anything [from] my team for Saturday.”

In the recent past he has suffered from low starting positions as a result of lukewarm qualifying.

Martín, enjoying a recent rush of success—often winning both sprint and GP—was confident on Friday. After Sunday’s race he said, “I set off with a higher tire pressure than I wanted.

Jorge Martín’s recent success wasn’t duplicated at Sepang, but he minimized the damage and still very much remains in title contention. (MotoGP/)

“After six laps I almost crashed in every corner. That was frustrating because I was never able to push in the race.

“Behind Pecco my front tire heated up enormously. Even later, the temperature and the high tire pressure didn’t drop.”

Another question: how did Quartararo finish fifth? The four Ducatis were seconds ahead of him, reducing his problem to that of holding position:

“…fifth place was the best possible result for me in the end.

“…we can’t take advantage of the fresh rear tire as the opponents can ride with much more power. We have to make up ground on the brakes. As soon as our opponents’ tires degrade we are much closer. That’s also the reason why we can then overtake.”

Most important change from last year is that the 2023 race was 15 seconds faster. It’s my view that much of this 0.75 second-per-lap improvement has come from riders being able to use more power on corner exits because aero downforce rather than anti-wheelie power cuts is keeping front tires on the pavement. Possible additional gains are owed to a partial repaving of the course, though some riders spoke of needing to “understand” the new surface (that is, to be able to predict its effect on front tire pressure).

Michelin’s capable traveling salesman Piero Taramasso reminded us that “…five riders beating the previous all-time circuit lap record during qualifying…confirmed that the developments of the Grand Prix motorcycles and our tires complement each other perfectly.”

Michelin is the source of the controversial rule requiring tire pressure (most notably the front tire pressure, because it rises when drafting another machine) to remain always above a set point that is very close to the onset of footprint shrinkage leading to brake locking and then to folding or closing the front.

Malaysia’s heat and humidity take a toll on the riders. Bastianini, like most, was all but destroyed at the end of Sunday’s race. (MotoGP/)

MotoGP bikes carry tire pressure senders whose data is displayed on the rider’s display and is also recorded for official scrutiny. Completing more than 50 percent of a race with a tire pressure below the set minimum earns a warning. Next year it will be more severely punished.

On the other hand, operating safely above the minimum causes the footprint to shrink enough to cause front wheel brake locking and/or folding or closing of the front end in corners.

The fact that several strong riders are usually relegated to uncompetitive positions in recent races by tire grip problems suggests that even highly experienced crews are frequently getting this wrong. The riders, able to see their front tire pressure climbing toward grip loss, are resorting to falling back in slipstreaming situations, in hope that hot air from the bike ahead will be diluted enough by cooler surrounding air that tire pressure will stop climbing. Clearly this is no way to race, and is at the same time a self-condemnation by Michelin.

I had initially thought Michelin’s reason for needing to set so high a minimum pressure was fear of the usual heat problems—blistering or chunking of the tire tread. Now a chance remark by Brad Binder confuses the issue: Binder said, “I understand the fear that the tire will jump over the rim if the pressure is too low. However, I’ve never seen that happen…

“I’m not alone. I’m sure every rider would welcome it if the minimum pressure was lowered a bit; 0.1 bar (1.5 psi) less would make the races better and all of us on the bikes safer.”

Safer, that is, from brake locking and losing front grip in corners. Did someone tell Binder that the danger of a bit lower pressure was that the tire would come off the rim? Are other users of Michelin tires told this? Or does the suggestion that underinflated tires may come off the rim come from a source other than Michelin?

Martín was understandably angry over this issue: “I think that the tire pressure rule is destroying real racing. This year there are only warnings, but from next season you will be disqualified because of it.

“We must urge those responsible to drop this rule or find a solution that makes the teams’ work easier.”

Easier, that is, than seeking an ideal tire pressure that may not exist between being disqualified or dealing with hazards like brake locking or losing the front end.

Surely the highly experienced Michelin—the origin of so many pneumatic tire innovations—can produce a front tire that is raceable without having to be inflated to a pressure that MotoGP riders associate with risks they are now experiencing. Perhaps the French company should consult its own marketing staff to estimate the value of the negative advertising this controversy is bringing it.

Only Qatar on the 19th of November and Valencia on the 26th remain, and the 2023 championship is still to be decided.

To no one’s surprise, KTM’s Pedro Acosta wrapped up the Moto2 title two rounds early. Next year he’ll join the MotoGP grid on a GasGas. (MotoGP/)