Resurfacing tracks: advantages and disadvantages for the competition

This season, the tracks which have been newly resurfaced include Jerez, Silverstone, and the Barcelona-Catalonia track

Asphalt is the part of the track which makes the most contact with the wheels of the vehicles competing on it. This contact can cause potholes or even cracks, which will create a need for resurfacing… But how does this affect the MotoGP races?

Although weather conditions and soil quality can cause the asphalt to break down, the type of vehicles that race on it can make more of a difference. The MotoGP races are very light and barely cause the track to break down. But occasionally, these tracks host Formula 1 races, cars, and even lorries!

In particular, F1 places puts a heavy strain on braking zones and fast bends because of the power and G forces it generates. With time, it loosens and destroys the surface, worsening adherence and impeding water drainage. If even the potholes and low-grip areas that come from this process have little impact on F1 driving, it’s a different story for the two-wheeled MotoGP. It is not only the risk of sliding, but also the vibrations caused by a bumpy area can make riding impossible. Because of this, the World Championship tracks should be periodically resurfaced so that riders can put their foot down and make the most of their frames.

Jerez resurfacing

Resurfacing a track is a logistic odyssey. Material between 20 and 80 millimetres deep has to be removed from the track. This is replaced with new layers, cambered and prepared for effective water drainage.

Disadvantages of resurfacing

A recently resurfaced track can have a completely different finish its previous one; making it unknown territory for the riders. The first laps will be an pneumatic enigma, so should be approached with caution.

If the renewal has only been partial, to correct the worst affected sections, there will be an obvious disparity between the new and old sections that can be very noticeable to riders. New asphalt tends to be a mystery in terms of its grip: sometimes this is extremely high, but it can also be very scarce at the start. With use, the passing of tyres, and the friction of the rubber, the level of grip eventually stabilises. If we bear this in mind, a completely resurfaced track will have a different level of grip, and a partially resurfaced one will force a rider to move around the obstacles in each area.

In a worst-case scenario, even more potholes may appear after a resurfacing. This would be an unfortunate, but possible outcome. If problems are not correctly identified and fixed, the new finish can have those same imperfections.

Resurfacing the Barcelona-Catalonia circuit

Advantages of resurfacing

In most cases, resurfacing tends gets rid of the potholes that cause problems for motorbikes and creates a consistent level of grip across the track. It may improve parts of the track cant of some bends, which can be positive for some riders but not others, depending on their style. Water drainage usually improves after renewal.

In very lucky cases, the level of grip can surprise us; as happened to Marc Márquez in Sachsenring. In the words of no. 93: “The grip is good, but you ride carefully because you don’t know what to expect. But when I noticed that my elbow was in water on some bends, that’s when you really understand how much grip there is”.

The Michelin technicians have a tough task when it comes to choosing which tyres to use on a resurfaced track, and so tend to bring a large range with them. In this way, they can better analyse the rubber performance and degradation.