Michelin has announced its development plan for a new MotoGP front tire reveal, originally set for introduction in 2025, which has now been postponed.
The tire manufacturer has been designing this front tire to better handle the increased impact of aerodynamics, particularly regarding tire pressure. Although Michelin aimed to launch this tire in 2025, limited testing during the 2024 season led to the decision to postpone the debut.

The prototype tire was tested during the post-season Barcelona test, where several riders provided positive feedback.

Luca Marini commented on the tire, saying, “Yeah, more or less same feeling as Misano. When you exit from the garage, the bike feels super heavy, but once the tire warms up, the feeling improves. For me, they’re doing a good job, especially with braking entry. The limit feels extended, though you only truly know the limit once you crash. It feels like you can brake more aggressively with this tire. So far, there are no negative points.”

In an interview with motorsport.com, Michelin’s motorsport manager, Piero Taramasso, discussed the next steps in developing the tire.

“We will take it to Sepang and Buriram for the winter tests, possibly implementing some adjustments,” he explained. “After these tests, we’ll evaluate the results across four or five circuits and finalize the model. Once fixed, no further changes will be made.

“Throughout 2025, we’ll reintroduce the tire in official and private tests, giving teams time to adapt their settings—chassis and suspension included—to maximize performance. This approach ensures they’ll be ready when the tire is officially launched.

“As stated in Misano, we chose not to rush the 2025 release. This allows us to continue testing while offering stability to teams, considering we already introduced new front and rear compounds this year.”

Addressing the rider feedback, particularly Marini’s observation about the initial heaviness of the tire, Taramasso noted an intriguing inconsistency: the new construction is actually 1 kg lighter than the 2024 version.

“The main puzzle is why, despite being lighter, some riders feel the bike is heavier and less agile, especially during direction changes,” he said. “This might be related to setup or tire pressure, which could require adjusted parameters.

“That said, the comments about heaviness were more common in Misano than Barcelona. We’re analyzing data to pinpoint the cause. Overall, the tire meets our expectations in other areas.”