Piero Taramasso explains why the new front tire will not be used next year after all – but development will not have been in vain
Michelin will not be using a new front tire developed last year in the 2026 MotoGP season after all. This decision was made after several track tests last year and in the first half of 2025.
“We talked a lot about the new generation of front tires – about the new tire that we tested for a very long time,” says Michelin manager Piero Taramasso. “After the last test in Aragon, we had time to analyze all the results.”
That was the Monday test after the Grand Prix in Aragon. “We also took into account what will happen in the future,” said Taramasso, referring to MotoGP’s withdrawal at the end of 2026 and the switch to the Superbike World Championship in 2027.
“Considering that we will be leaving MotoGP at the end of 2026, we have decided not to introduce the new front tire. That is the decision. We have spoken to the riders, the teams, and Dorna, and I think this is the best solution.”
“We made this decision together. We didn’t think it made sense to introduce the new front tire for just one season. On the one hand, it’s a shame because some riders liked it a lot, others less so, but everyone felt there was good potential in this tire.“
Would this new tire have eliminated the tire pressure issue? ”The new tire was a little better in that respect, yes, it was better,” says Taramasso, without going into further detail.
After the test rides in recent months, some riders said they liked the new tire and would like to switch to it immediately. Other riders had more doubts.
“I can say that a slight majority liked it; they found the right setup for the bike, the right feeling. The others—it’s not that they didn’t like it. They said: I can feel the potential, I can feel that it’s better when braking, the stability is better.”
“But they just couldn’t find the right setup for the bike. As I said before, it’s a completely new tire concept, and you have to change a few things on the bike. Some found the setup right away, others didn’t.“
Taramasso also reveals that this new front tire is one kilogram lighter. ”In addition, the new tire is also wider – so it’s a bigger and lighter tire at the same time,” he says, summarizing the key points of the further development.
He also emphasizes that it was ultimately Michelin’s decision. In addition to the test data, everyone involved was consulted. Ultimately, they didn’t want to make a decision that “the teams would complain about afterwards.”
So everything will stay the same for the front tire next year. “In general, teams like stability. If nothing changes, they like it,” says Taramasso. “Because if they stick with the current model, they know how it works and how it reacts.”
“Maybe it’s not perfect, but they know that in this situation it reacts this way, so they’re prepared. In general, the teams don’t ask for changes.” However, Taramasso does not want to accept that the development of the new front tire was a waste of time.
“The advantage is that we developed it with the most extreme motorcycles and the fastest riders in the world. So we know that what we’ve done is very valuable—very important data for the future.”