MotoGP’s change of tyre supplier is not expected to end its controversial pressure-penalty system. Pirelli will become the championship’s sole tyre supplier in 2027, but Ramon Forcada believes the penalties will remain because the company was pushed to follow the existing framework.

MotoGP introduced the current rule in 2022 after a Michelin recommendation, following attempts by teams to exploit a loophole in the pressure regulations. Riders must now keep the front tyre above the 1.8-bar minimum for at least 30% of a sprint and 60% of a Grand Prix. Falling short brings an 8-second penalty in a sprint or a 16-second penalty in the Grand Prix.

The consequences were clear at the Indonesian Grand Prix. Pedro Acosta repeatedly had to drop behind Marc Marquez to build front-tyre pressure, while Jorge Martin lost the sprint victory a day earlier over a similar problem. Acosta criticised the rule in blunt terms, saying the riders looked like “donkeys”.

Pirelli’s preferred pre-start procedure

Forcada says Pirelli originally wanted a different process: pressure would be checked before the race and results would not be altered afterwards. The main measurement could be taken roughly half an hour before the start, followed by a check on the grid. Checking at the last moment is complicated by tyre temperature, according to Forcada’s explanation.

Pirelli already supplies racing tyres in WorldSBK and Moto2. Its MotoGP tyre is not expected to be a direct version of either existing product, although its technical basis will be similar. The 850cc motorcycles arriving in 2027 will not have ride-height devices, a change that should help Pirelli develop a front tyre less sensitive to heat and load.

Michelin’s abandoned alternative

Michelin had pursued another answer to the pressure problem with a new front tyre tested at Misano in 2024. Teams spent about 30 minutes evaluating it, which was judged insufficient for a safe introduction. The planned rollout moved from 2025 to 2026 and was eventually abandoned after Michelin’s contract was not renewed for 2027. Forcada believes more joint testing involving MotoGP and the teams could have prevented the situation that later unfolded in Indonesia.