Summer break over - Kallio prepares for Indianapolis GP

Mika Kallio has had a busy summer. After the German GP at Sachsenring he packed his bags and headed straight to Misano, Italy, to perform tyre testing with Michelin. The MotoGP class has chosen Michelin as their official tyre provider for the season of 2016 and Kallio worked as a test rider when the tyre mixes of next year were given a go in the heat of Italy.

-I am glad I took part in these tests, the tyres felt great and the team was satisfied with my work. Michelin tyres suit me really well and I would be happy to ride with them in the bigger class next year, Kallio hinted. 

 In addition to tyre testing, Kallio had also time for some junior work during his summer break 

-Just before we left to the States I participated to an event in Finland, in which we coached promising junior riders at the Alastaro circuit. Apart from these sessions, I had a break from all bikes and racing-related things. I tried to focus on completing paperwork and practicalities that never get done during the hectic racing season. Luckily for me, I did manage to find time to go fishing once and also tried out the forest climbing track here in Indy, Kallio laughed. 

 Now the second half of the season 2015 is approaching and the first race of the fall takes place at the famous track of Indianapolis, USA. Kallio and his team have a clear strategy for the weekend. 

-There is nothing we could do to the bikes during the break, since they were shipped directly to Indy after the German GP. During the last three grand prix I have been strong in the first half of the race, but then dropped down several positions due to rear tyre endurance issues. To avoid that from happening here in Indianapolis, we have decided to return to the settings used during the season premieres. This means losing grip and feel on the front, but in return keeping the rear tyre in better shape. This compromise needs to be done to salvage the rear tyre, but it is challenging to ride this way since this means entering corners will be tricky due to lost front feel. We aim to find a settings combination which would suit both of these needs, but it will not be easy. I did win here last year, broke all records and claimed the pole, so I hope there is still something we could do, Kallio stated.

-The track was modified last year and a new coating was applied. This made the track a bit better in terms of grip, but the legendary Indianapolis track is still famous for it’s relatively slippery surface, which creates challenges to a lot of riders. I have no special feelings, positive or negative, towards this track, but for sure I would appreciate a good result. Given the few previous races, I am positive that the pace is there, we just need to modify the settings so that the race distance would not be too much for the tyres to take. I hope that the practice sessions would be successful, since we are planning to ride a lot to see how the tyres react, a smiling Kallio finished.

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