MotoGP Revolution: Pirelli completes first 850cc test at Brno—here’s how it went

All five Manufacturers took part in the test, choosing the riders to try the tires, both on 850 cc prototypes making their debut in 2027 and on current bikes detuned and modified to simulate their configuration.

The year 2027 will mark a profound change for MotoGP. Displacement will shift from the current 1000cc to 850cc, and significant changes will be introduced in terms of aerodynamics and setup, including the elimination of front and rear ride-height devices. In this context, the joint effort between Pirelli, riders, and Manufacturers plays a central role in ushering in the new technical era by delivering performance, safety, and spectacle worthy of the premier class of the Motorcycle World Championship.

Following the conclusion of the Czech Republic GP, Pirelli today completed at the Automotodrom Brno the test of the 2027 MotoGP tire prototypes, the first to also feature some factory riders selected by the teams. This is an important step in the development program that will lead the company to the role of sole tire supplier for the premier class of the World Championship starting in 2027. Taking to the track to try Pirelli’s developed solutions were Marc Márquez and Fermín Aldeguer for Ducati, Marco Bezzecchi and Raúl Fernández for Aprilia, Luca Marini and Joan Mir for Honda, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu for Yamaha and Pedro Acosta for KTM, joined by test riders Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaró for KTM, and Augusto Fernández for Yamaha.

The test day, held in mostly sunny conditions in the morning and slightly cloudier skies from mid-afternoon, but always with air and track temperatures similar to race weekend, saw participation from all five Manufacturers involved in the World Championship, each with two bikes— in some cases 850cc prototypes debuting next year, in others current bikes adapted to simulate the 2027 technical configuration. Pirelli’s request to each manufacturer was to have two riders, at least one of whom a factory rider, with the option to have one or two test riders on the second bike.

The program, defined in agreement with the manufacturers and IRTA, featured differentiated run plans between the two bikes provided by each Manufacturer, with the goal of maximizing data collection and enabling Pirelli technicians, together with the engineers from the various factories, to effectively evaluate the different development solutions present in the test. The presence of factory riders made it possible to integrate the information already gathered in previous tests with indications representative of MotoGP’s performance level, providing useful elements to continue defining the tires destined for the new generation of bikes.

Today’s session represents the first of three tests scheduled during the season with the participation of factory riders. The next ones will take place on the Monday after the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, and on the Tuesday after the final Grand Prix of the season in Valencia. Pirelli’s path towards entering MotoGP in 2027 began last year at the Misano circuit, on the Tuesday after the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, with an initial test reserved for test riders, followed by numerous private sessions, always and exclusively with Test riders, to continue the development work that led to defining the tires tested today in Brno.