Pirelli to replace Michelin as MotoGP’s tyre supplier in 2027

Pirelli will become MotoGP’s official tyre manufacturer from 2027 to 2031, after Michelin’s current deal ends.

This is a logical step for the Italian brand, which has been supplying its rubber to the Moto2 and Moto3 series since last year, as well as the World Superbike championship in a long-standing partnership that began in 2004.

Having provided tyres to the Formula 1 world championship since 2011, but decided not to further its involvement in the World Rally Championship beyond 2024, Pirelli now adds another major competition to its portfolio, as well as the MotoE series.

The announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Michelin – which has been the sole provider of MotoGP tyres since 2016 – had started work on novel compounds ahead of the new-for-2027 technical rules.

Nevertheless, the last decade has been fraught with criticism from riders and teams targeting the manufacturer from Clermont-Ferrand.

This has been a regular theme, particularly in the last few years, with Michelin at odds with Honda and Aprilia over its responsibility for, respectively, Marc Marquez’s highside at the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix and Jorge Martin’s crash just last month in pre-season testing at Sepang, which has left the reigning champion unable to take part in the first two rounds of the campaign.

Martin also partly blamed its 2023 title defeat on tyres he deemed not to work properly.

This is the second major series Michelin has left in recent years, having been replaced by Hankook for Formula E’s Gen3 that commenced at the end of 2022.

However, the French brand still supplies its rubber to all competitors in the IMSA SportsCar Championship as well as the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class.