“Demanding” Pirelli test sees MotoGP stars make 850cc debut at Brno

Eight MotoGP race riders got their first chance to try next year’s Pirelli tyres and 850cc machines during a private post-race test at Brno on Monday.

Marco Bezzecchi, banned from the grand prix, was back on track for Aprilia, alongside Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez.

Brno winner Marc Marquez and Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer were selected at Ducati, with Joan Mir and Luca Marini representing Honda.

Pedro Acosta and Toprak Razgatlioglu - who knows Pirelli rubber well from his WorldSBK titles - were the lone race riders for KTM and Yamaha, respectively.

Some factory test riders - who have been developing the Pirelli rubber and 850cc machines up until now - also took part.

The track was open from 9am to 6pm, including a one-hour lunch break.

No media were allowed, and there was no official timing, leaving teams to use stopwatches to try to gauge their rivals’ performance.

Razgatlioglu revealed on Sunday that a Sprint simulation was among his planned duties. 

Some riders are also thought to have lapped as a group to try and gather ‘dirty air’ data on the Pirelli front tyre.

Pirelli: "The run plans were demanding"

The riders present are sure to be quizzed on their 850cc debuts at Assen on Thursday, but until then, Pirelli’s motorcycle racing director Giorgio Barbier said in a statement:

“I would like to thank the riders and Manufacturers for their helpfulness and for the enthusiasm they showed in such a significant test on our journey toward the MotoGP 2027.

“The run plans were demanding, with many solutions to evaluate, after a race weekend characterised by high temperatures, and just a few days before the next Grand Prix.

“After the private sessions that were so far held only with test riders, in Brno we were finally able to gather useful feedback on 2027 tyres for the future 850cc bikes also from some contracted riders.

“All Manufacturers completed the programmes we’d agreed on, with differentiated run plans for the two bikes to maximise data collection, and some riders also carried out Sprint Race simulations and full race-distance runs.

“The collaboration with riders and Manufacturers continues to be highly constructive and developments are progressing according to plan.

“The data collected today, along with those from the next private tests and from the September test after the Austrian GP and the end-of-season test in Valencia, will be fundamental in defining the final characteristics of the 2027 range”.

Pirelli brought a total of 400 tyres to the test, including five slick options front and rear.

The rears were soft (three specs) and medium (two) with the fronts available in soft (one) medium (two) and hard (two).

The baking heat ruled out use of the intermediate and wet tyres.

The next Pirelli test for race riders will be held after the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in September.

That test is open to all riders, although it remains to be seen if manufacturers will have enough 850cc bikes available and/or if riders changing teams will be allowed to at least try the new tyres using current 1000cc bikes.

Michelin has been MotoGP's tyre supplier since taking over from Bridgestone at the start of 2016.

As well as the tyre and engine capacity change, ride-height devices will be banned from next season and tighter restrictions placed on aerodynamics.

Pirelli held its first MotoGP group test, for test riders, after last year's Misano round. 

That was followed by numerous private tests, again with test riders, leading to the specification of tyres tested today at Brno.