SBK | Indonesian GP: Pirelli has chosen the tires for Mandalika, who will benefit from it?

Superbike Mandalika Indonesia – The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to the track at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, scene of last year's defining moments.

Pirelli has revealed the tire allocation, with harder compounds at the front and softer at the rear, based on data collected in the last race and the asphalt surface which can reach high temperatures.

This year, the medium SC1 solution is no longer present in the rear tire allocation, replaced by the extra soft SCQ for the Superpole and Superpole Race, thanks to its better grip. On the contrary, the standard solutions for the front are confirmed: the medium SC1 and the hard SC2. The Mandalika circuit puts a lot of stress on the front tyre, but there are three rear options, including the super soft SCX-A and the soft SC0 available throughout the weekend and the extra soft SCQ which can only be used in Superpole and Superpole Race.

Kawasaki riders prefer harder tire development, as stated by Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes during testing in Jerez. The front tire available in Indonesia this weekend is harder, but the Kawasaki riders have not yet won with the SCQ, even if Rea took pole with this tire in the first half of 2022. The Ducati riders, however, tend to shine in less grip conditions, as demonstrated by Axel Bassani after Phillip Island. Even though the bike adapts to different types of tyres, it seems that the preference falls on the softer ones. BMW drivers, on the other hand, get the most out of SCQ, as demonstrated numerous times by Scott Redding. Iker Lecuona and his team find it difficult to benefit from fresh rubber in general.