MotoGP, tyre scare at Motegi: Michelin's countermeasure for Warm Up and Race

What happened in the sprint race led Michelin and MotoGP management to make a drastic choice for Sunday: some might be unhappy.

MotoGP arrived at Motegi with a big question mark over the new asphalt, and issues were not lacking. Although Michelin brought harder tires than in the past, the Sprint saw soft rear tires suffer a sharp drop-off due to high degradation. Jack Miller’s medium compound also had problems.

Right after the sprint race, attention turned to what might happen in Sunday’s full race, with 24 laps to cover. Word quickly spread that Michelin would mandate the use of the hard rear tire, the one with a reinforced carcass, to limit damage and avoid safety-related issues.

Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s Two-wheel Motorsport Manager, explained the decisions made for Sunday. First of all, the soft rear tire has been withdrawn from the allocation for the race, but there’s more: "The Medium remains available - reports Sky Sport MotoGP - but it will require careful management, while the rear Hard, equipped with a reinforced carcass, is Michelin’s recommended solution for riders aiming to maintain a high pace throughout the race."

Those who had no issues with the Soft in the sprint and were even considering using it in the full race will likely be displeased, though they’ll have to accept the decision. Moreover, to better understand how the Hard behaves, the Warm Up has been extended: on Saturday morning at Motegi the session will not be the usual 10 minutes, but 20. The hard tire was practically not tested during practice, so it becomes crucial for riders to have more time to try it and then make a decision for the race. We will see a different GP than the one we expected.

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