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Sepang MotoGP: Michelin en route for last flyaway race of the season
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted October 24, 2016 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing, Motorsports
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted October 24, 2016 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing, Motorsports
Sepang MotoGP: Michelin en route for last flyaway race of the season
Sepang MotoGP 2016 Preview| Michelin is on the way to Malaysia for the final race of the three-week long flyaway trip as the MotoGP™ circus heads towards the Sepang International Circuit for the penultimate round of the 2016 season and the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Since Michelin tested at the 5,543m track in February the circuit has undergone a complete resurfacing, along with modifications to various parts of the layout. This will give a completely new feel to all riders and teams and present a fresh challenge for all, especially Michelin.
A mid-season test was conducted with two test riders and this season’s double Grand Prix winner Cal Crutchlow, to enable the French tyre specialists and the manufacturers to understand the new surface. From the information gathered, Michelin has a range of three front MICHELIN Power Slick tyres in soft (white band), medium (no band) and hard (yellow band) compounds. These will be paired with two rear compounds available in medium (no band) and hard (yellow band), both tyres will feature an asymmetrical design with a harder rubber on the right shoulder of the tyre.
With the unpredictable hot and humid weather a principal feature of this race weekend, the need for rain tyres is important as tropical downpours are often experienced during the latter part of the day. Michelin has two versions of the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres for use in these conditions and will be available in soft (blue band) and medium (no band) compounds for both the front and rear. To complete the tyre range, the MICHELIN Power Inter (silver band) will also be available for changeable conditions and a drying track, but with the heat also a main part of Sepang’s challenge the surface does dry quickly following any rain.
Sepang International Circuit Information
The Sepang International Circuit was constructed in 1998 and made its MotoGP debut the following year. It is a built for speed and exciting racing, featuring a mix of 15 corners interlinked by two long straights either side of some of the most architecturally pleasing grandstands at any racetrack. Sepang is located about 50km south of Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur and near the country’s main airport.
Michelin and the MotoGP field takes to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, with two more on the following day. Qualifying for the 20-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway at 15.00hrs local time (08.00hrs CET, 07.00hrs GMT/UTC) on Sunday 30th October.
Piero Taramasso – Manager of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group:
“Sepang will signal the last fly-away race of the tour, but we won’t be taking things easy because it’s the end of the trip! The circuit has been re-surfaced since we tested there in February with the whole MotoGP field, so most of that data is irrelevant as to wear levels and grip consistency, but we did conduct a test there in mid-season so we have had a base to work on in readiness for this weekend. The circuit features two long straights and many hard-braking zones, so front-end stability is important at Sepang. There are also lots of long turns, so rear edge grip will be important. The track can also reach very high temperatures and we have had to take all those differences into consideration before deciding on this week’s tyre allocation. We know it will be another tough examination of our tyres, but that is why we are in MotoGP racing and the more we learn the better we will become.”
Click here for Sepang MotoGP Accomodation
Sepang MotoGP Circuit Maps
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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