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1. 0 Company Background Michelin is involved in the research and manufacturing of rubber tires and was founded in the year 1889. Today, it has over 29,000 employees in more than 170 countries worldwide. In 1998, Michelin established it Representative Office in Malaysia. 2002, Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd has set up its headquartering office which located in Damansara Utama, Selangor. Therefore, Michelin have their own local tyre industry as well.
The sales force strategically positioned and located at key market centers, and also providing a professional and ever expanding their network which is allowed to recognize with a standardized outlet-front signage. Recently, Michelin has more focus on environment friendly and social responsible. The new technology of the tire comes out a wonderful performance in order to help the customer saving fuel and having more tire life for their car. This tire named GREEN ‘X’ which marked by the Michelin tire.
The biggest competitor of the Michelin Group Malaysia which is Bridgestone Malaysia have recently launching various promotion and activities, therefore, Michelin needs to take some PR action in order to maintains a their status in tyre industries. 2. 0Importance of PR and its role in marketing Public Relation plays a very important role in marketing in company because Public Relation needs to assist marketing department to deliver the accurate message, positioning and product knowledge to the selecting target audience.
Therefore, Michelin Malaysia believes that will help to engage and maintain a long term relationship with the customers by earning support and learning, influence opinion and behaviour. Secondly, Public Relation also allowed Michelin to create awareness of the brand name through some PR or media tools such as advertisement, endorsement, events and press release to cache the attention of the audience. It can help the company become well-known in their respective fields of concentration many times through public relations and the associated media generated.
Endorsement of Michelin which is Michelin man always given a strong impression and unforgettable image to the audience and easy to recognize as well. The tummy of the Michelin man is looks like the tyres, so when the public see the Michelin man then will guide them to the Michelin as well. Lastly, the Public Relation able to help the audience create a long term memory for Michelin Malaysia. ( Lautenslager A,2003) 3. 0Public Relation Tools and Activities of Michelin Malaysia 3. 1Special Event In 2010, Michelin Sdn.
Bhd hire a public relation agency which called Spanners to holding a tour event successfully among the states of the Malaysia such as Johor, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and etc. The main objective of the road show which was introducing the new tyre of the Michelin tyres which called Green-x tire. From the road show, there were several of activities included evil fill pump competition, drawing competition and games in order to let the audience participle the activities and educate car owners on environment-friendly tyres that reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Moreover, free goodies were given to the walk-in customer who fully participle to the Michelin road show’s activities in order to engage a good relationship with the audiences. (Wong D,2009) In Malaysia, there were a lot successfully examples such as Philips road show which hold in the malls on weekends. This tool may help to attract the audiences easily due to the crowd and also increase the revenue as well. The limitation of this tool which is the audiences are very randomly and cannot be segment into specific group. Michelin Road show tour 3. 2Corporate Social Responsibility
Secondly, the high quality tyres on research and development have a slight damage towards the environment. Michelin Group has focused sharply on corporate social responsibility with their employee under the theme called ‘Michelin Volunteering, for Community Development. ‘ This CSR projects were involve such as recycling used tyres (which were turned into playground items), lessons for children on energy consumption and art amps taught children the value of recycling to save natural resources. Another group also helped the farmer to grow bamboo from forest for household use. BBC,2010) From the CSR project, it benefits the employee of company and also engages a good relationship with the society as well. A well-known brand which called Nippon Paint in Singapore and also donated their paint to the old folks home in 2009. The donation money cost 8,000 litres of Nippon paints and coatings which allowed painting up to 300 five-room units of flats. This CSR tools are very crucial because it allowed building up a good image to the company and also benefiting to the society as well. (Jackson A, 2009) 3. 3Sponsorship
Lastly, Michelin being a sponsor ship from various big special events such as F1 sepang circuit before and after the event, and the opportunity to entertain clients and prospective customer. (Shakes W,2009) Moreover, this tool may also allow the organization to advertising their brand name. There was various sponsorship from the F1 such as Marlboro. (Azskler, 2010) The brand name is put on the race track, when processing the race game. The audience will mention the board while watching the racing. It can help to create awareness and also create a long-term memory of the audiences.
The limitation of this PR tool is too costly; this will be more effective if the sponsorship is sufficient. 4. 0Conclusion From this assignment had concluded that the importance of Public Relation’s tools towards Michelin Group Malaysia. It is crucial to having special events, sponsorship and corporate social responsibility in order to achieve the campaign plan. According to the research which reflects that the Michelin Group Malaysia is a very successful product from providing goods and services to fulfil the customer needs and wants.
Therefore, the PR tools used by the Michelin Group Malaysia in effectively and efficiency way in order to achieve their campaign plan and became the first choice tires of the customer. 5. 0References http://www. michelinsavesfuel. com. au/ http://www. tirerack. com/tires/tiretech/techpage. jsp? techid=182 http://www. michelin. com. my/Home/Products-Services/Car-SUV-LT http://www. kldir. com/listing/michelin-malaysia-sdn-bhd. html Adeline Jackson(2009). Michelin Hydroedge with Green X Tire. MAY 17 2009. [Online]. url: http://www. jaxquickfit. com. u/blog/2009/04/michelin-primacy-lc-tyre-is-quieter-and-saves-more-fuel/. [Assessed by :23 march 2011] AL Lautensiager (2003). Why you need PR getting the word out about your product or service should always be priority. (17 November 2003) [Online. ] URL: http://www. aps. org/programs/outreach/guide/pr/importance. cfm [Assessed by :23 march 2011] BCC. (2010) Michelin to raise 1. 2bn euros to fund expansion. (28 september 2010) [ONLINE. ] URL: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-11426161 [Assessed by :23 march 2011] Roadshow(2010) Michelin [Online]. URL: http://www. michelin. com. y/Home/News-Promotions/Promotions-Campaigns/Campaigns/2010-MICHELIN-Roadshow? pid=231 [Assessed by :23 march 2011] Daniel Wong (2009) Michelin Reaches out [Online]. (24 May 2009). URL: http://findarticles. com/p/news-articles/new-straits-times/mi_8016/is_20090524/michelin-reaches/ai_n44442109/ [Assessed by :23 march 2011] N/A. Michelin: Malaysian Grand Prix Preview. [Online]. URL: http://www. f1network. net/main/s107/st21966. htm [Assessed by :23 march 2011] N/A. Performance and Responsibility. [online. ] URL: http://www. corporateregister. com/a10723/michelin03-csr-fr. pdf [Assessed by :23 march 2011] . 0 Appendixes Shhhh… The New Michelin Primacy LC tyre is quieter and saves more fuel! http://www. jaxquickfit. com. au/blog/2009/04/michelin-primacy-lc-tyre-is-quieter-and-saves-more-fuel/ By Adeline Jackson ? April 19, 2009 ? Post a comment Featuring silent ride and fuel economy, new tyre targets to be the region’s best seller and industry reference Australia – Michelin is pleased to announce today the launch of the new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre in Asia Pacific, a tailor-made product for regional markets which effectively reduces driving noise and helps lower fuel bills.
Featuring the world’s leading technologies, innovative compounds, optimized tyre profile, the new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre is a natural choice for demanding Australian drivers of high performance vehicles such as Lexus LC, Mercedes C Class, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry or VW Passat. It is also the best answer for those who pursue improved levels of silence, comfort, fuel efficiency, while it delivers also the traditional core performances of MICHELIN products i. e. highest safety and longevity.
According to consumer surveys conducted in the major Asia Pacific countries, features such as quiet ride, fuel efficiency and driving safety are among the most decisive factors for consumers of high-performance tyres. “With excellent test results and driver feedback, we believe that the new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre will set a regional industry benchmark for the high-performance tyre segment in Asia Pacific,” said Mr. Lionel Dantiacq, head of marketing and sales – passenger car tyre of Michelin Asia Pacific.
The MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre is set to become Michelin’s next ‘best seller’ in Asia Pacific, replacing its previous generation MICHELIN Energy MXV8 tyre. Asia’s high-performance tyre market will keep its momentum to grow far above the average of other tyre segments, mainly driven by new car models. With the new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre, the Company expects to increase its market share in high-performance tyre segment here in Asia Pacific to 17% in five years, versus around 14% today. Three key product attributes
Attribute 1: Silence Thanks to the newly developed “Silent Rib” technology, the new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre achieves less driving noise. The shape and distribution of the grooves in the tread pattern gives the consistent rigidity around the circumference of the tyre. This minimizes any vibrations that cause noise. Attribute 2: Fuel saving The new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre is marked with the “MICHELIN Green X” label, which guarantees the tyre has one of the highest levels of energy efficiency on the market.
With this label, Michelin asserts its commitment to reducing both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, while offering all the advantages of MICHELIN tyres in terms of longevity and safety. In addition, thanks to the full silica tread compound and optimized construction, the MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre helps reduce rolling resistance by 13% compared to the previous generation*. As a result, the new product contributes to reducing fuel consumption and therefore consumer’s fuel bill. Indeed, for this new tyre, as well as for its whole range, Michelin fights to offer to the drivers the best cost over the lifetime of the tyres,” Mr. Dantiacq said. Attribute 3: safety and longevity The new MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre improves safety thanks to a highly flexible tread rubber compound that meshes easily with the road surface to give high levels of grip. This allows a 6% shorter braking distance on wet roads compared to the previous generation.
The optimized tyre profile puts 21% more rubber in contact with the road. Thus, the MICHELIN Primacy LC tyre delivers all the safety without compromising wear life. THE NEW MICHELIN PRIMACY LC New reference in high performance, it absorbs driving noise and reduces your fuel bill. Product Information The 3 Main Characteristics of MICHELIN Primacy LC: Silence, fuel-saving and safety in wet conditions 1. Silence The newly developed “Silent Rib Technology” and tread compound reduce tyre noise to minimize driving noise.
As a result, the tyre provides the highest level of “silence” in its class for a quieter and more comfortable ride. Silent Rib Technology 1 The shape and distribution of the grooves, give the intermediate ribs a consistent rigidity around the circumference of the tyre. This minimizes any vibrations that cause noise. Therefore, tread pattern noise is reduced and tuned at a frequency range that cannot be detected by the human ear. Silent Rib Technology 2 The total groove width is always the same, making it effective in reducing the tread pattern noise.
Increasing the number of shoulder blocks decreases the noise The extra grooves into every shoulder block doubles the number of shoulder blocks which disperses the frequency range, thereby reducing the tread pattern noise. Comparison with Conventional Products Compared to MICHELIN’s previous generation tyres, tread pattern noise has been reduced particularly to the frequency ranges that human ears most easily detect. Comparison of In-Car Pattern Noise Peaks are tuned across the frequency range to reduce the level of noise. Reduction of 0. 8dB(A). Tread Compound
As the tyre rolls over the road surface, all the irregularities of the road “tap” on the tread rubber. This excitation is transmitted through the tread rubber and is converted into road noise. The newly developed tread compound of MICHELIN Primacy LC reduces road noise by optimizing the molecular structure of the tread compound to provide more flexibility. Tread compound of the predecessor The tread compound of the previous product contained a lower proportion of plasticizer. This resulted in the transmission of more vibration and noise along the short bonds.
Tread compound of MICHELIN Primacy LC The polymer and plasticizer composition used for MICHELIN Primacy LC tread compound contains a higher proportion of plasticizer which makes it more flexible. This reduces the transmission of vibrations and noise between the molecular links. 2. Fuel-saving The Full Silica Compound reduces the rolling resistance and contributes to fuel savings and reduction of CO2 emissions. Fuel-Saving Performance 1 – Full Silica Compound The newly developed Full Silica tread compound of MICHELIN Primacy LC reduces olling resistance that contributes to fuel saving and reduced vehicle emissions. Commonly-used hybrid compound Compounds with very tightly packed molecules generate friction due to the molecules rubbing together while rolling. The friction creates heat generation and therefore energy loss, which means higher Rolling Resistance The Full Silica Technology used in MICHELIN Primacy LC Using the Full Silica Technology reduces friction between the rubber molecules. This results in lower energy loss by the tread rubber, which means lower Rolling Resistance.
Fuel-Saving Performance 2 – MICHELIN GREEN X Label The Green X label on the sidewall of MICHELIN Primacy LC tyres guarantees a level of energy efficiency among the highest on the market. With this label, Michelin asserts its commitment to reducing both the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, while offering all the advantages of MICHELIN tyres in terms of longevity as well as safety. 3. Safety in Wet Conditions Wet braking and wet handling are improved, ensuring a higher level of safety. Safety in Wet Conditions – Excellent Grip
The Full Silica Compound developed for MICHELIN Primacy LC with high flexibility meshes with the road surface to provide a high level of grip, delivering high performance in wet conditions. The strong but flexible molecular bonds between the molecules also help to resist better to abrasion, which means longer wear life. Basic Information 1 – MICHELIN Primacy LC Specs * 30 sizes * Speed range: V, W, Y * Rim diameter: 15-19 * Tyre profile: 195-245 * Rim protector (for all sizes less than 55 series) * ‘GREEN X’ label (on all sizes) Basic Information 2 – MICHELIN Primacy LC Design The asymmetrical tread pattern commonly used for MICHELIN’s summer tyre line-ups allows the best balance of all performances * The logo design used for all MICHELIN Primacy family tyres List of cars that can be fitted with the MICHELIN Primacy LC Audi A3, A4, A6, Allroad| BMW 316i, 318i, 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series| Citroen C4, C5, C6| Daewoo Tacuma| Ford Falcon, Fairmont, Fairlane| Holden Adventra, Astra, Berlina, Calais, Caprice, Commodore, Statesman, Vectra| Honda Accord, Civic, Elysion, Legend, New Crown 08, Odeyssey| Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Grandeur, Sonata, Trajet|
Kia Carnival, Cerato, Megentis, MS Optima| Lexus ES300, GS300, IS200, IS300, LS430| Mazda Mazda 6, MPV, Premacy| Mercedesb A-Class, B-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, S500| Mitsubishi Z3 Colt, Lancer, Magna, Grandis| Nissan 350z, Elgrand, Fuga, Maxima, Skyline Fr| Peugeot 307, 406, 607| Renault Clio, Laguna| Rover MGZT, 75| Saab 9. 3, 9. 5| Smart Pulse| Ssangyong Chairman| Subaru Impreza, Liberty, Forester, Outback | Toyota Alphard, Aurion, Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Estima Prius, Targo | Volkswagen Polo, Jetta, New Beetle, Passat | Volvo S40, S60, S80, V70, V40 | What is rolling resistance?
With each rotation of the wheel, the tyre is deformed under the weight of the load when it makes contact with the road. As its structure is deformed, the components heat up and some of the energy transmitted by the engine is lost: this is the phenomenon known as rolling resistance. Since the energy needed to keep a vehicle moving forward is provided by combustion, lowering a tyre’s rolling resistance makes it possible to reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Rolling resistance is one of the five forces a vehicle must overcome in order to keep moving.
The others are air resistance (which depends on vehicle speed), significant inertia forces when accelerating (such as in city driving), gravity when driving uphill, and internal friction (involving the transmission chain, for example). In 1992 Michelin introduced the Michelin green tyres, featuring its low rolling resistance technology. Michelin uses silicon in the production of tyres, which makes it possible to reduce the rolling resistance while retaining the grip and its mileage performance. This technology greatly reduced the fuel consumption of vehicles, allowing up to 0. 5 liter of fuel to be saved for every 100 kilometers. http://www. entrepreneur. com/marketing/publicrelations/prbasics/article65672. htm Why You Need PR Getting the word out about your product or service should always be a priority. By Al Lautenslager | November 17, 2003 Why is public relations important for my company? A: According to Public Relations News, “Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. While the public part implies inclusion of things like public affairs, community relations, investor relations, public press conferences, media events, internal communications and crisis communications, it also involves a lot of behind-the-scenes, non-public activity. It could involve simply the writing of a press release, but it could also involve coordinating media contacts for an event or conference, securing credentials, lobbying for article placement and the like. Sometimes public relations is an effort to influence the public.
This is especially true for political action groups, associations and other groups. Sometimes public relations is community relations. Just look around your own community to see how many companies and organizations have a community affairs initiative or a person in charge with a related title. In larger, publicly held firms, this person is sometimes the director of investor relations. Investors are a public entity, so in this case public relations is appropriate. What the public wants to hear is a good story. Good PR is the telling of a good story.
The better the story, the better the acceptance by the public and the better the public relations. Of course if the story is especially appealing to those that could be your clients, then you could have a PR homerun. In this case, it is communication with your target market that may or may not be very public. PR’s importance is changing, according to The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR (HarperBusiness). American marketing strategists Al and Laura Ries argue that public relations has become the most effective way to build a brand.
Well-known brands like The Body Shop, PlayStation and Harry Potter spend little on brand-name advertising. The same is true for many entrepreneurial companies like yours. Business owners become known in their respective fields of concentration many times through public relations and the associated media generated. PR is communication in many ways with your target market. Maybe instead of public relations we ought to call it target market relations or TMR. You may be communicating about a new product, spreading news about your company or making a major announcement.
You want to communicate publicly, but the only people you care about are potential prospects, customers or investors, in the case of a partnership or a public company. One exception may be communication to a group that you are trying to influence for the best interest of your company and target market. An example of this is lobbying government. Define what your public or target is in your public relations effort. This is best done by defining your target market and then any sub-segment. Lining up publications and broadcasts with the market and the segments will define what the public is for your public relations.
The bottom line is to get word out about you, your company, your products and services to those who could potentially buy from you. Public relations is just one part of marketing, as marketing is made up of many things. The good news about PR is the cost and the effectiveness when it’s in front of your target market. http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-1142661 28 September 2010 Last updated at 16:17 GMT Michelin to raise 1. 2bn euros to fund expansion Michelin says it needs to open one factory a year over the next few years to meet demand Michelin shares closed down 10. 1% after the tyre maker unveiled a 1. 2bn euros ($1. 6bn; ? 1bn) rights issue. Michel Rollier, chief executive of Michelin, announced the fund-raising as he declared that the recession in the global automotive industry was over. The money will be used to fund an investment programme, he said. But investors were unnerved by the 2-for-11 cash call at a deeply discounted price of 45 euros, compared with Michelin’s share price of 60 euros. Despite the sharp fall, shares in the French company closed at 58. 6 euros, well above the new offer price.
The company is predicting big growth in sales from emerging markets, and says it needs to open one factory a year for the next few years to meet demand. Michelin is already due to open three new factories in 2012. “The opportunities are there and Michelin is now ready to seize them,” Mr Rollier said . “The crisis is over. ” His positive outlook follows two consecutive years of falling profits. http://findarticles. com/p/news-articles/new-straits-times/mi_8016/is_20090524/michelin-reaches/ai_n44442109/ Michelin reaches out Comments | New Straits Times, May 24, 2009 | by Daniel Wong THE Michelin Diaries road show concluded at Sungei Wang Plaza last week, after more than a month on the road. From Penang to Johor, the road show – which started last April 10 – was to educate car owners on environment-friendly tyres that reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The road show also introduced Michelin’s new addition to its Energy range of tyres, the Primacy LC. Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Yves Pouliquen said that the response for the road show was excellent.
From the five road shows that started in Penang, heading to 1 Utama, Malacca, Johor and finishing in Kuala Lumpur, Michelin managed to further develop better customer relations. Pouliquen believes that the hard economic times have spurred people’s interest in “green” tyres. The Primacy LC (Luxury Comfort) that was launched in March is a premium (mid-upper) range of tyre for the Asian market. It is considered a replacement to Michelin’s ageing MXV8 range that has been in the market for almost nine years.
Michelin claims that the Primacy LC has 13 per cent better rolling resistance than the outgoing MXV8, thanks to the use of better silica compounds. This means that less energy and fuel is required to push the vehicle, thus improving a vehicle’s fuel consumption. At the same time, the Primacy LC boasts a 21 per cent increase on tyre contact with the road surface, giving better road holding. Michelin also claims that Primacy LC is much quieter than the MXV8. Pouliquen admits that tyre sales have been down during the 1st quarter of this year. However, he expects the Asian markets to recover faster.
Michelin is focusing its attention on placing more value into its growing client base in Malaysia. It plans to introduce a network of tyre dealers around Malaysia known as Tyre Plus in the 4th quarter of 2009. Michelin also plans to launch the Latitude Cross tyres in Malaysia within the next two months, followed by updating and improving its existing tyres. By year’s end, Michelin plans to release five new products, of which two are aimed at the passenger car market, with the rest for the trucking industry. Michelin now has a 10 per cent average market share in Malaysia.
Pouliquen sees Malaysia as one of the top-three growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region. “Only the sky is the limit,” he said. http://www. f1network. net/main/s107/st21966. htm William Shakes 2009 Michelin: Malaysian Grand Prix Preview “The pressure on us could hardly be greater,” says Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin’s motorsport director. “We dominated the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix – when Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya finished first and second for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team – and we have just recorded a magnificent 1-2-3 in Melbourne.
It would be easy to assume that Bibendum will be invincible in Malaysia – but we are fully aware of the challenge facing us this weekend. ” “Motor sport at this level is always difficult. Although we have upped our game since this time last season, as have our partner teams, we are taking absolutely nothing for granted. ” “We have identified a number of areas in which we can improve and the latest Formula One cars are still at an early stage of their development curve, so it is far too soon to be able to predict how the 2003 season will pan out. “
Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW WilliamsF1 Team driver, commented on the performance of the Michelin tyres: “Michelin has definitely made a big step over the winter which means that if our tyres were good in Sepang in 2002, this year they should be excellent! I remember last year the tyres worked well from the first lap and I hope this happens again next week. ” For Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director, added: “This circuit is notable for its mixture of quick and slow corners – and some of the slower ones are preceded by long straights. The surface is abrasive and the rate of tyre wear is thus quite high.
To cope with these parameters, and taking into account the expected high temperatures, we will be bringing a selection of tyre compounds from the medium-hard sector of our range. “It is always possible that violent tropical storms might affect the event and we will be prepared: we have some new wet tyres available and they have been developed specifically with this grand prix in mind. “Finally, every extra 10 kilos of fuel slows the cars by about 0. 3 seconds per lap. ” Pascal Vasselon, F1 project manager, spoke on several subjects: SELECTION PROCESS We finalised our tyre specifications for Sepang in the wake of the Australian Grand Prix. Our partner teams evaluated a number of compounds when they tested last week at Jerez, Spain. Three of these will be taken to Malaysia. ” NEW RAIN TYRES “The rain tyres we’ll be taking to Sepang differ from those we used in Melbourne because the surface in Malaysia is more abrasive and temperatures are likely to be much higher. We have modified the tread pattern and, unlike the wets we took to Melbourne, the fronts and rears will be quite similar. ” LOGISTICS, LOGISTICS… In order to facilitate the air freight process, our used tyres from Melbourne were taken straight to Malaysia. The factory finished making the new tyres we’ll be using at Sepang on Friday evening, March 14, and they were transported to Amsterdam airport early the following day. They should reach the track by Tuesday morning. ” STRATEGIC THINKING “Last year Ralf Schumacher made a single stop en route to winning this grand prix. This year we can expect to see some drivers use the same tactic, but the new rules create different strategic possibilities and a two-stop race might be equally effective. http://paddocktalk. com/news/html/story-146489. html ASkyler on Oct 07, 2010 – 04:34 PM 2010 Malaysian GP (Sepang): Ducati Marlboro MotoGP Race Preview After back-to-back wins in the last two races the Ducati Marlboro Team is hopeful of being amongst the frontrunners again in this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. The Sepang Circuit hosts the majority of MotoGP winter testing and both Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden were on the pace in preseason, clocking the second and third fastest times respectively on the final day.
Test conditions are always different to a race weekend but both riders have good records here, with Stoner victorious in 2007 and 2009, with Hayden boasting six top five finishes. | | | | | However, nobody at Ducati Marlboro Team is taking anything for granted this weekend and the riders and staff are ready to give maximum effort in demanding conditions, with high ambient and track temperatures and the challenge of setting up the Ducati GP10 at a completely different kind of circuit to Motegi.
CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “Motegi was our biggest question mark about set up and we had to really work hard to make the bike stable for the really heavy braking. Sepang isn’t too much about that, so we can maybe raise the bike back up again and get our traction a little better and see what happens. But we can hopefully expect to have the bike working well there. We’ve all been giving 120% all season but it’s just these last two races we’re getting something back from it. It’s a huge, huge difference for us.
Going into these next two races is a big clump in a small space for us, of course, but if things keep going like they are we definitely have a good chance of doing well again on Sunday” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team “After we got a good result in Aragon it was frustrating not being able to back it up in Motegi, it’s not good. I think it shows the level of MotoGP – if you are off a little bit you are at the back. Anyway, now we go to Malaysia and a track where we tested a lot this winter, even though it is always very different when we come back for the race.
At the tests we can ride all day long whereas at the Grand Prix we have just a few hours but it’s a track I like and I enjoy and we’ll just see how the bike works. The team is working extremely hard, Casey has won the last two races so the bike is working really good now and we will go there and try to get a good result”. VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “After two wins at tracks with very different characteristics we go to another kind of circuit with fast corners and long straights, so we will need to work just as hard as we did at Motegi.
We have to stay concentrated and we can’t take anything for granted. At the same time, Casey is in top form and if we can manage to give him another competitive bike he will be up at the front again on Sunday. Nicky also has the chance to do well in this race because he was very fast here in preseason testing and he will be keen to bounce back from a negative result at Motegi. ” THE TRACK Sepang hosted a Grand Prix for the first time in April 1999, with races in Malaysia having initially taken place at Shah Alam and Johor. A much loved venue for the teams and riders, the circuit is located in the