Michelin will respond to the unique challenge of the Sachsenring, venue for this weekend's German MotoGP, by providing asymmetric front tyres for the first time this season.

The tight and twisty circuit is heavily biased towards left-hand turns. However the fastest and most daunting corner is the downhill the right-hand Turn 11 'waterfall' plunge (pictured).

As a result, the left shoulder of the front tyre will feature a harder rubber compound than the right. Both a soft and hard version of the asymmetric will be available, plus a medium compound symmetrical front slick.

To match the front allocation Michelin will will offer a rear slick which also features a harder left shoulder in its asymmetrical design. Again designed to cope with the fast lefts, this tyre will also need a softer right side to heat up quickly. It will be available in medium and hard versions.

"After the excitement and diverse conditions we had last time at Assen, it would be nice to have a straightforward weekend, but if you want that then Sachsenring is not the place to go!" said Piero Taramasso, Manager of Michelin's Two-Wheel Motorsport Group.

"It is a very demanding circuit and the layout - with its long left-hand corners - generates a lot of heat that the tyres will have to contend with. With this in mind we have created completely new compounds designed especially for this track.

"This will be the first time we have had asymmetric rear tyres where the left is harder to cope with the high temperatures and it will also feature a soft right-hand-side to heat up rapidly for the sharp, slow right-hand corner that comes at the beginning of each lap.

"This follows a lot of left turns and the start/finish straight - so it will need to get temperature very quickly to give the riders the grip they need. Sachsenring will also signal the first time we have provided a front asymmetric tyre.

"Sachsenring is another circuit where we can have variable weather - similar to Assen - so we have to be prepared for that, but no matter what the conditions are, the huge German crowd will certainly have a good time, as this is one of the big party races of the season."