"A shame” MotoGP won’t race “super good" new Michelin front tyre

Francesco Bagnaia says it’s “a shame” Michelin won’t roll out its new front tyre in 2026, having been one of the riders impressed by the design.

The new generation tyre was Michelin’s response to the extra loads generated by aerodynamics and ride height devices, as well as offering better heat resistance behind other bikes.

Initially planned for use this season, it was postponed until 2026 for further testing.

During that time, Michelin lost the exclusive MotoGP tyre supply contract to Pirelli for 2027 but kept the door open on introducing the new tyre until final feedback at last month’s Aragon test.

“We took the decision basically all together. For one season, we think it was not a good idea to introduce the new front,” said Michelin’s MotoGP boss Piero Taramasso.

“It’s a pity because everybody was feeling a good potential on this tyre. But anyway, at the end of next season, we will move to other championships and for sure, we will use this technology.

“But the best for us, the championship, for everybody is to just finish with the current model of front tyre... It's just not the right timing, not the right moment."

Bagnaia understood the logic.

“I think it is a normal decision,” he said. “They will move away from MotoGP, so they will start to develop for Superbike.”

Nonetheless, “It’s a shame because the tyre I tried last year in Misano was super good.”

Bagnaia wasn’t alone in praising the new design. World champion Jorge Martin - currently sidelined through injury - was another to instantly feel the benefits in testing last year.

“When Pecco and Jorge Martin tried it in Misano, they were very pleased, very fast with that tyre straight away,” confirmed Taramasso.

While the revised front tyre was unlikely to disrupt Ducati’s dominance, it could have helped improve the racing by better handling the heat and pressure build-up that occurs when following closely behind other bikes.

“If we could have a tyre that is not suffering that much with tyre pressure or temperature it would be much better because we can have some more overtakes and fight more closely all the race,” said Bagnaia, who has struggled this season when riding in traffic on the GP25.

“The [new front] we tried in Misano last year was in that direction. It’s true that it was a bit more difficult to ride the bike [heavy during direction changes], but it was more stable, and I was having a lot of feeling with the front. It was good.

“Temperature and pressure are still the main things that we need to adapt to during the race, so it could be better to have more stability in that.”

Taramasso agreed: “The new tyre was better for that. It was bigger but 1 kg lighter, from 6.5kg to 5.5kg. So the percentage weight reduction is very high. It was a good step.

“But again, we will use this technology, this innovation, for the future [in other championships].

“The good point is that we developed this tyre with extreme machines and extreme conditions with the fastest riders in the world. So, we know we have gathered very valuable data.”

According to Taramasso, most riders liked the new tyre’s potential, even if some hadn’t yet dialled in a perfect setup.

“A majority liked it. They found the right setup for the bike, the right feeling,” he said. “The others, it’s not that they didn’t like it. They said ‘I feel the potential. I feel it’s better when you brake. I feel the stability is better,’ but they didn’t find the proper set-up.”

But the reluctance to commit came largely from the teams, not the riders.

“It’s a completely new concept of tyre and you have to change quite a lot on the bike. Some they found it straight away, some others not,” Taramasso explained.

“In general, teams like stability. If you don’t change, this is what they like.

“Because if they stay with the current tyres, they know how they work, they know how they react. Maybe it’s not perfect, but they know how it will respond. So, they are prepared.

“In general, what teams ask you for is no change.”

Michelin will shift its focus to the World Superbike Championship, where it will become exclusive tyre supplier from 2027.