MotoGP to make Pirelli debut at Misano: “A very important occasion awaits”
MotoGP manufacturers will get their first taste of Pirelli tyres during a private test at Misano on Tuesday.
MotoGP machinery will run on Pirelli tyres for the first time during a private test at Misano on Tuesday, as preparations begin for the new 850cc era.
The test, taking place two days after the San Marino Grand Prix and immediately after the Official Misano test, marks a “first step” for Pirelli as it prepares to succeed Michelin as MotoGP’s sole tyre supplier in 2027.
All five manufacturers - Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha and Honda - will be present with their factory test riders, using current 1000cc prototypes but without ride-height devices, which will be banned after next season.
"A very important occasion awaits us on Tuesday, right here in Misano: the first test of the prototype tyres for MotoGP to be used starting from the 2027 World Championship,” said Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director.
“This test represents the first step in obtaining useful information for the development of Pirelli's MotoGP tyres, a test we wanted to start working with the teams in the premier class.
“In this way, when we’re able to test with the new bikes in 2026, we will have a product that is already at an advanced stage of development and very similar to the final one.”
Barbier confirmed that several front and rear tyre solutions will be available to the manufacturers, using current MotoGP rim sizes.
“Different front and rear solutions will be made available to the Test Teams and Test Riders of the five manufacturers present in the World Championship in the current sizes used in MotoGP, 17 inches in diameter for rims with a width of 4 inches at the front and 6.25" at the rear,” he explained.
“The new Pirelli tyres, as required by the regulations, will have to be tested with the bikes that are competing in the current season.
“To make them as similar as possible in terms of characteristics and performance to the configuration of the new 850s that will be used in the new era of the World Championship starting in 2027, the tests will be carried out without ride height devices and with changes to the set-up.”
Manufacturers have agreed not to start track testing of their 850cc machines until the end of the 2025 season. The next Pirelli test is expected to be directly after the Valencia finale and official MotoGP test, in mid-November.
Pirelli will continue to supply tyres for the Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships in 2027, when Michelin takes over Pirelli’s role as World Superbike tyre supplier.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
