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After seven years with Bridgestone (from 2009 to the end of 2015) and eleven with Michelin (from 2016 to the end of 2026), the Italian tire manufacturer, Pirelli, will be the third tire supplier to supply all factories and satellite teams in the MotoGP World Championship. This had already been Dorna's plan more than two years ago, when the British company, Dunlop, was replaced by Pirelli in the Moto3 and Moto2 classes.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 team owner, Hervé Poncharal, isn't the only French owner of a MotoGP satellite team, but he's also been President of the IRTA team association for almost 20 years. In this role, he's also negotiating the new five-year contracts for the six client teams for 2027 to 2031 with Dorna. This includes, for example, the financial subsidies and the maximum number of Grands Prixs. Poncharal has no complaints about the long-term collaboration with Michelin, the French tire giant. It's no secret that Bridgestone has already invested 20 million Euros a year to supply the teams with free tires, nor is it a given these days that a company will incur such costs, even if advertising opportunities are limited when there's no free competition, as was the case until the end of the 2008 season, when Michelin, Bridgestone, and Dunlop financed an expensive tire war in the premier class.
"I'd like to say that I've always been impressed and pleased by the support and the work that Michelin has put into the MotoGP," Poncharal emphasized in an interview with GPOne.com "I'd also like to mention the human element that has always been and continues to be at the forefront of our partner, Michelin. I like the way they work. I value Piero Tarramasso, and I also have a lot of respect for Michelin CEO, Florent Menegaux. This company has done a lot for the MotoGP, on and off the racetrack. The choice of tire supplier is in the hands of World Championship promoter Dorna. I understand their decision to go with Pirelli, one hundred percent, and I respect that choice, because they wanted to have the same tire partner for the four World Championship classes, Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP and MotoE. But Michelin was only interested in the MotoGP and MotoE. Anyway, life is much easier for the promoter, Dorna, if it only has to deal with a single tire company for all the classes."
Dorna has had good experiences with Pirelli for many years in the Superbike and Supersport World Championships. "It's clear that Pirelli is doing something. They're in investing mode. And Pirelli was more keen to sign this new deal for the MotoGP," Poncharal explained. "I'm quite convinced that they'll meet our requirements and demands. Pirelli will arrive in the MotoGP in 2027, when the new technical regulations for the 850 cc displacement will come into force in the MotoGP at the same time. And, even if there are going to be some similarities between the 1000 cc and the future 850 cc motorcycles, we'll be opening a new technical chapter with the 850 cc, and a new tire supplier fits in well with that concept. It's a perfect scenario. I'm looking forward to working with Pirelli, although we still have 2025 and 2026 with Michelin ahead of us. And, I emphasize, Michelin has been the best MotoGP partner since we started using one-make tires."
So far, no one can estimate when Pirelli will invite teams to the MotoGP test rides for the first time, but let's remember: Bridgestone allowed all teams to do the first Michelin tests after the Mugello GP on June 1st, 2015. Many permanent GP riders complained or even fell because of lack of front grip and decided to get back on Michelin tires only after the Malaysia GP in November. During the 2015 season, Michelin test rider, Colin Edwards, had developed the French tires largely on his own with an M1 Yamaha. He tested for Michelin at most GP tracks worldwide after the 2015 event, in order to compare the lap times and figure out the weak spots. Pirelli will also have to plan for several MotoGP tests with all the manufacturers by summer 2026, at the latest.
Poncharal: "I'm not too worried because Pirelli also supplies the tires for the Superbike World Championship. Of course, the MotoGP bikes are more powerful, more demanding, and faster. But we also have to wait until the new 850cc bikes are ready to go because it makes little sense to develop the new Pirelli MotoGP tires with the 1000 cc bikes. I can imagine that the first big Pirelli tests will take place with the test teams of the participating factories."
