An official announcement has been made that the tests before the 2027 season following the Austrian Grand Prix will also be held behind closed doors. The same thing happened in Brno last Monday when some riders tested the new MotoGP 850 bikes fitted with Pirelli tires for the first time. Many are blaming Michelin for this secrecy, so we went straight to the source, asking Piero Taramasso—the French tire manufacturer’s two-wheel competition manager—for an explanation.
“In any championship, when decisions of this kind need to be made, the decision is never made by just one party. These are shared decisions. In our case, it's by the tire suppliers, the organizer, IRTA, and the MSMA, and that’s how it should be. I can also say that the discussion didn’t last very long, because it was a common-sense decision,” Taramasso clarified. “At Brno, the tests were held behind closed doors, and they will be in Austria, as well. The reason is simple. There are existing contracts that must be honored. Right now, in the MotoGP, Michelin has a contract through the end of 2026. Starting next year, there's going to be a different tire supplier. The same thing will happen in the SBK. Today, it’s tied to another tire supplier, and, starting in 2027, it's going to be Michelin.”
The same rules also apply to production-based classes.
“We conducted tests at Aragon in early June with the factory bikes and riders, and they were held behind closed doors. We didn’t release any photos or press releases, and the same thing is happening in the MotoGP, only with the roles reversed," Piero continued. "We have to respect the contracts and the parameters that were agreed upon, until the end of the year. We haven’t asked for anything else.”
Some riders who are switching brands have complained that they can’t test the Pirelli tires until the end of the season. According to them, Michelin won’t allow them to use the current 1,000cc bikes to avoid direct comparisons with the competition.
“That surprised me. It’s not true. In this case, it was also a mutual decision. These are tests for 2027, so it makes sense that they’re conducted with the 2027 bikes and the 2027 tires. What would the point be of testing with 2026 bikes and 2027 tires? This is especially since the bikes will change completely next year... their weights and power outputs. You’d risk getting data that could lead you astray. All this discussion has surprised me. These were simply logical choices, and this is how it’s always been done in the past, in every championship, whether for cars or motorcycles. Nothing different or unusual was decided," Michelin's manager concluded.