Dunlop's Moto2 tyres head homewards to the circuit of Silverstone for the sixth round of the Moto2 World Championship - the British Grand Prix - on June 15-17.

Dunlop Motorsport's Moto2 racing tyres are produced just an hour's drive away from the 5.91 km Silverstone circuit in Birmingham.

Silverstone Set-up

The inland location, 130km north-west of London, is hosting its third Grand Prix since the British round of the MotoGP World Championship moved to Silverstone from Donington Park. The event takes place on the full Grand Prix circuit which was extensively revised for the arrival of MotoGP.

Dunlop will bring the tyres from the Group C 'Durability Focused' range, with the 3855 medium and 3838 hard rear compounds allocated. This is the tyre allocation for circuits with for high wear characteristics.

3855 is a new compound for this season in Moto2 which was debuted successfully in Qatar at the season opener. 3838 is the harder option core compound with high wear resistance with good consistency over race distances. This gives riders the confidence to open the throttle early out of the apex. The season-familiar front allocation of the 717 and 302 compounds will join their rear brothers.

Moto3

Silverstone: It has everything - fast straights and corners and slow twisty bits

For Silverstone the following Moto3 tyres will be allocated:

Front Moto3 slicks per rider

95/75R17 Moto3
5 x Medium
3 x Hard

Rear Moto3 slicks per rider
115/70R17 Moto3
5 x Medium
4 x Soft

Wet Moto3 tyres per rider 3 x 95/70R17 KR189 WB (4 tyres allocated if all practices are wet).
3 x 115/70R17 KR389 WB (4 tyres allocated if all practices are wet).

Tech Section - Moto2

Dunlop's 2012 Moto2 Tyre Range
For 2012, Dunlop is set to retain two front tyre compounds with the rear compounds reduced from last year's seven flavours to five.

Dunlop's initial 2012 Moto2 tyre range will comprise of two different dry front compounds and five different dry rear compounds. The profile of the front has been modified from Jerez onwards to mean a more responsive and receptive front end.

For the rear tyres, the five compounds will be seen predominantly in the ATR05 construction which was refined last season. There will also be a new ATR10 construction for Qatar. Dual compound W919 construction tyres will feature at a number of circuits too.

Front tyres:
Two main compounds for the season, with a new profile introduced at Jerez - a slightly smaller tyre, meaning faster handling and a more precise feel for the riders.

Compounds:
717, 302

Rear tyres:
Five compounds, predominantly in ATR05 construction. ATR03 used for Sachsenring and Phillip Island. New ATR10 for Qatar. W919 dual compound seen at certain tracks.

Compounds:
3757, 3854, 4886, 3855, 3838

Constructions:
ATR05, ATR03, ATR10, W919

Know your compounds

Dunlop's 2012 Moto2 rear tyres can be grouped into five tyre compound groupings as below.

Group A Baseline

3757 & 3854 (available at Le Mans & Sepang tbc) [NB - originally planned for Jerez]
Tyre allocation for low wear tracks with consistent track conditions.

3757 - Initially introduced as the high ambient tyre in late 2010. Proved itself more durable in cooler conditions on less aggressive circuit surfaces so gets let out of the factory more often.

3854 - The softer option core compound. Very consistent performance and usable at many circuits. Depending on the circuit severity, can be used as the softer or harder option. As a reward for good marks, it could be allowed out to play in Sepang.

Group B Abrasion defenders

3854 & 4886 (available at Estoril, Assen & possibly Misano)
Tyre allocation where high abrasion is a consideration.
NB Abrasion is affected by weather conditions - and these are difficult to predict exactly. Just ask a weatherman.

3854 - As mentioned for Group A. Better suited to the warmer conditions at these tracks.

4886 - Introduced in late 2011 season with good results. Has the ability to give the rider good initial grip and good life in cool conditions. If works well at Estoril will be considered for further evaluation at Assen and possibly Misano.

Group C Durability focused - used in Silverstone

3855 & 3838 (available at Qatar, Indianapolis, Aragon and Mugello)
Tyre allocation for high wear tracks affected typically by local weather conditions (i.e. high temperatures).

3855 - A new compound in Moto2. Tested and used in the FIM Endurance World Championship at Qatar. Two steps softer than any of the other previous options Moto2 have used at past Qatar GPs. This compound is under evaluation for use in future events.

3838 - The harder option core compound. High wear resistance with good consistency over distance. This is the recommended 'prime' tyre for the Qatar race.

Group D Grip focused

4886 & 3838 (available at Silverstone and Motegi)
Tyre allocation for circuits requiring high stability with mechanical grip.

4886 - As seen in Group B. Holds temperature well to compensate for long straight tyre cooling. Has good mechanical grip in slow corners.

3838 - The harder option core compound. Gives riders at these circuits the confidence to open the throttle early out of the apex.

Group E Specials

W919 & 3838 or 4886 (available at Barcelona, Sachsenring, Brno, Phillip Island & Valencia)
Circuits requiring lower running temperature tyres, for being very turn biased (left or right) and also added high abrasion levels.

W919
An asymmetric dual compound tyre incorporating the two core compounds. Both compounds offer good heat retention while not getting too hot or too cold during running. Can be run either way to suit the circuit.

3838 - The harder option core compound. As mentioned for group D. Gives riders at these circuits the confidence to open the throttle early out of the apex. Also adds resistance to abrasion and wear.

4886 - As seen in Groups B and D (it gets around as well as goes around). Its attributes help at circuits like Brno and Valencia.

Construction set

ATR10
Better for holding a higher temperature when cooler running temperatures.

ATR05
A good all rounder depending on track temperatures and the compound being used.

ATR03
The ATR03 is a strong relation to the dual compound tyre. One side of the tyre is designed to restrict heat build up whereas the other side is there to hold the heat.

W919
Dual compound code for both of our core compounds (3854/3838) on one tyre. Best of both worlds you could say.

Tech Section - Moto3

Moto3 tyre range
This season there are three different compounds for Moto3 - hard, medium and soft. A combination of two front and two rear compounds will be allocated for each event.

The non-science bit
Unless something is not quite right, the tyres are the only part of a motorbike which makes contact with the ground. Tyre performance and management is therefore a crucial factor to help win races.