Motegi: the hard tyre with reinforced carcass returns; Ducati and Marc Márquez back under scrutiny

The Japanese GP reopens a debate that seemed to have been left in Spielberg. Michelin brings to Motegi the hard rear with a reinforced carcass, the same solution already seen in Austria. Judging by the very recent precedents, it doesn’t seem the most favorable choice for Ducati and in particular for Marc Marquez.

On top of the tire question, there’s a significant unknown. The 4.801 km Japanese track has been completely resurfaced and this year presents a completely different scenario. The French supplier will have to quickly understand how the new surface responds to MotoGP stresses. Motegi is a stop-and-go track, quite demanding on tire longevity. Michelin has played it safe: this is the Honda HRC test track, so the French single-supplier’s technicians will have decided the allocation based on precise input.

To cover the widest possible operating conditions, Michelin has brought three different solutions for front and rear. Up front there are no big changes: the soft, medium, and hard tires keep the same carcass as last year and all use symmetrical compounds. It’s the hard rear—potentially a race option—that is attracting attention on the eve of the event. “It features a specific reinforced structure. It’s a solution particularly well-suited to some Asian circuits and one we will also propose at Mandalika,” explains Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s track manager, “At the rear we chose a higher stiffness level than in 2025 to have an extra margin against the uncertainties linked to the new asphalt.”

It’s not a good premise for the Desmosedici. The reinforced carcass used at the Red Bull Ring didn’t start with the best feeling for the Red, and Marc Marquez now finds himself dealing with the same solution right at the first stop of the Asian tour.

New asphalt, heavy braking, and a stiffer rear: at Motegi, the tire work in the opening sessions could weigh as much as the bike’s potential. And the matter won’t end in Japan, since the same solution will also be proposed at Mandalika.

But the weather could reshuffle the deck once again. It’s been raining in Japan for days, although a slight improvement is forecast for the weekend. The opening round of the grand Asian tour could carry very significant weight in this extremely balanced Championship.

Source: Motosan