Industry news: Michelin return as title sponsor for Australian GP

Dorna Sports has announced that MotoGP™ tyre supplier Michelin will title sponsor the Australian GP this season, as the breathtaking Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit prepares to host the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship once again in 2017. The race weekend, set for the 20th to 22nd October, is now officially named the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Michelin are the sole tyre supplier to the premier class of Grand Prix racing, and have been since their return to the Championship last season. With 2016 proving one of the most competitive seasons in history with a record nine different winners, the partnership between Michelin and MotoGP™ has been an incredible success so far – and more is sure to follow. This title sponsor agreement is another important addition to the relationship between Michelin and MotoGP™ – laying the perfect foundations for one of the most spectacular race weekends of the season.

Gary Guthrie, Michelin President 2-wheel tyre division declared: “After the successful return of Michelin to MotoGP last year I am really excited about how we can together with the teams and organisers make the racing even more thrilling this year. We learnt a lot in 2016 from working with our partners in each of the teams and will use that to push Michelin’s technology still further for even better MotoGP racing. At the same time we are using the technologies developed in MotoGP to bring new levels of performance and safety to our road tyres for riders everywhere. The opportunity Dorna has given us again this year to associate Michelin with the Australian GP, which is one of the MotoGP rounds that bikers from all over the planet invariably look forward to the most eagerly, is a tremendous lever for us”.

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director at Dorna Sports commented: “In their role as sole tyre supplier to the premier class, Michelin are a cornerstone of MotoGP™. So it is great news for the Australian GP and the Championship to sign another fantastic partnership with them and to see the Michelin name as title sponsor for the Australian GP again in 2017 – Phillip Island is always one of the highlights of the calendar.”

MotoGP™ now races in the Americas before returning to Europe, with the title fight then sure to fire up on the way to the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in October.

Source: Dorna Sports