How does MotoGP™ tyre selection work?: The ultimate guide

Tyre selection in MotoGP™ is one of the crucial factors which can make or break a rider’s chances of achieving a strong result on track.

Tyres are an integral part of MotoGP™ bike set-up, crucially putting the awesome power of the motorcycles used in the world’s most exciting sport down onto the track surface and propelling the machines forward at speeds which can exceed 365km/h (226mph).

In all classes, only tyres from the official appointed tyre supplier for each class may be used at Grands Prix and official tests. In the premier class of MotoGP™, the official tyre supplier is Michelin, whilst for Moto2™ and Moto3™ the official supplier is Pirelli.

In addition to different types of tyres which are used in dry or wet conditions, there are also varying specifications of tyres available to the riders at each different circuit.

The different specifications of tyres provide varying levels of grip and durability and choosing the correct combination to suit the rider’s preferences and the characteristics of the circuits is vital to success in the MotoGP™ World Championship.

If you’re ready to learn all the intricacies of how MotoGP™ tyre selection works, read on for our full guide!

MotoGP™ tyre types: soft, medium and hard slicks

There are two main MotoGP™ tyre types, slick tyres and rain tyres. Slick tyres are used under dry conditions and have a very smooth tread pattern, providing a large contact patch with the track surface.

Rain tyres have grooves on them which help in displacing the water on the track surface that the rubber comes in contact with. Rain tyres are often referred to as wet tyres.

The slick and rain tyres used in MotoGP™ are sub-categorised based on the type of rubber compound (essentially the set of ingredients) they are constructed with. The slick tyre compounds are categorised as hard, medium and soft, whereas the wet tyre compounds are classified as medium and soft.

Hard slick tyres are made with a harder rubber compound which provides greater tyre life. These tyres are used when the track temperature is very high, and they offer less initial grip as they have less contact with the surface.

Harder compound tyres take longer to reach their optimum working temperature, before offering greater grip.

However, hard tyres typically provide stronger performance and durability (therefore more grip) during the latter stages of race, as they withstand more wear and tear when compared with softer compounds.

The soft compound tyres offer greater initial grip during the early laps of the race (or for quick laps in Qualifying) as they take less time to heat up to their optimum performance level. However, softer tyres degrade quicker and therefore may not provide the best performance later in races.

The medium tyres offer the stability of a helpful balance between the hard and soft options, with less initial grip and greater durability than soft tyres and greater initial grip but less durability than hard tyres.

Slick tyres can be identified in terms of their compound hardness specification by the following markings:

Tyre selection is now also digitally documented before races so that fans watching on television can see clearly which specification the riders have opted for on-screen.

In MotoGP™, Michelin also supply symmetrical and asymmetrical tyre options. On the asymmetrical tyres, the hardness differs on one side of the tyre to the other, depending on the number of left or right hand turns. Asymmetrical tyres are therefore sometimes called ‘dual compound’ tyres.

At Germany’s Sachsenring, the circuit has 10 left-hand corners and just three right hand corners, therefore greater durability is required on the left side of the tyre there than on the right. So that’s one of the tracks where asymmetrical tyres are particularly important.

How rain tyres help MotoGP™ riders race at great speed in the wet

The rain tyres used in MotoGP™ are specifically manufactured for damp and rainy conditions. The medium rain tyres carry a white stripe and the soft rain tyres feature a dark blue stripe.

On a dry track they offer less grip and performance than slick tyres, essentially because less of the rubber is in contact with the track surface than with slicks.

In wet-drying conditions where the track has some dry areas and some that are still damp or wet, it becomes tricky for the riders and their teams to know whether the slick or the rain tyres are the better choice. That is where experience and knowledge of MotoGP™ tyre strategy comes to the fore.

MotoGP™ race tyres: the expert eye

Ex-Grand Prix rider and former MotoGP™ pit lane reporter Simon Crafar explains the details of how these varying tyres specifications work, stating: “The soft slick tyre has a higher grip level at the beginning of races, or sessions, so that's why they are used in qualifying. But if the softer option is not managed well in the race, riding style wise, bike setup wise, electronic setup wise, there is more consumption and a bigger drop off in lap time towards the end of the race.”

Crafar adds, “The hard compound is the other extreme. It'll put up with a more aggressive riding style, bike set up and electronic setup. It will give more stability and consistency, but it won't have the same level of grip at the beginning. The medium is in the middle and that's why it's the most popular choice for the races.”

When it comes to rain tyres, Crafar explains, “Regarding wet tyres, there are two compounds. A medium, generally symmetric front, so same rubber all the way over, and asymmetric rear, so different compound on each side. The soft is made for cooler temperatures and for more standing water. The medium is for higher temperatures and less standing water and can handle a drying track.”

Factors influencing MotoGP™ race tyres selection

Choosing the right numbers of tyres from the varying specification allocations before a Grand Prix – more on this shortly - and in particular choosing the right option for the race is essential for the riders and their teams

MotoGP™ tyre selection is decided by the riders in consultation with their crew chiefs (technical team managers), their data engineers and representatives from Michelin.

The key factors that determine MotoGP™ tyre selection choices include:

•   Track conditions: track surface and temperature
•   Weather conditions
•   Bike set up & characteristics (geometry, suspension settings, electronics etc)
•   Rider preference and riding style
•   Historical team / track data
•   Race strategy and length

The role of tyre allocation in MotoGP™

The tyre specifications available at each event are determined by the tyre supplier and identical tyres of each specification are  available to every rider, with the total quantity of tyres available being the same for every rider.

The level of softness vs hardness in the soft, medium or hard specifications will vary in the tyres provided by the official supplier according to the demands of each circuit.

Factors such as typical track temperatures, the nature of the track layout and the abrasiveness of the asphalt are all taken into consideration. So a slick medium rear compound specification may be the soft option at one track, whilst at another track it is the harder option.

The allocation of individual tyres to riders from within each specification batch is made on a random basis by IRTA representatives, with no involvement of any representative from the tyre supplier, teams or riders.

Allocations of tyres per Grand Prix in MotoGP™

At every Grand Prix, each MotoGP™ rider is restricted in the quantity and specification of tyres that they may use at a single race event, as follows:

During all practice sessions, Qualifying, the MotoGP™ Sprint, warm up and the Grand Prix, a maximum of 22 slick tyres are available, specifically:

Front slick tyres

10 in total, comprised of:

• up to a maximum of 5 of specification A
• up to a maximum of 5 of specification B
• up to a maximum of 5 of specification C 

Rear slick tyres

12 in total, comprised of:

• 7 of specification A, and
• 5 of specification B

Specification A is the softer option (higher grip level), specification B is the harder option. The official supplier will determine which tyres are suitable for each event.

Depending on the circuit and conditions, specification A may be soft or medium, and specification B may be medium or hard. So Michelin decide which specifications are brought to each event: soft and medium, medium and hard, or soft and hard.

Riders who participate in both Q1 and Q2 qualifying sessions are allocated one extra front tyre of their preferred specification (therefore, if taken, a maximum of 6 of that specification) and one extra rear slick tyre of specification A (highest grip level) after Q2 (therefore, if taken, a maximum of 8 of specification A).

Allocation of MotoGP™rain tyres

During all practice sessions, qualifying, the MotoGP™ Sprint, warm up and the Grand Prix, there is an allocation of 13 rain tyres available, specifically:

Front rain tyres:

• 6 in total, of two specifications 

Rear rain tyres:

• 7 in total, of two specifications

In the case that any 3 of the 5 sessions, being FP1, Practice, FP2, one Qualifying session, and the Sprint (always excluding warm-up), are declared wet by the Race Director, one more set (1 x front and 1 x rear) of rain tyres will be allocated to every rider, and the allocation automatically becomes:

7 Front rain tyres, and 8 Rear rain tyres.

In the case that Q1 and Q2 sessions are both declared wet by the Race Director, the extra tyres allocated will be rain tyres (of the rider’s preferred specification for both front and rear tyre). In the case that Q1 and Q2 sessions are declared as different weather conditions then no extra tyre will be allocated.

Impact of tyre selection on race performance in MotoGP™

When a rider gets their tyre selection right, it will help them in terms of improving the feeling on the bike, which will positively impact their lap times, improve their cornering ability, increase their confidence to overtake and to hit the brakes as late as they can.

Logically this has a huge impact therefore on overall race performance. If the rider chooses a tyre which later turns out not to give them the required level of feeling and grip - whether that is at the start or the finish of the race – then lap times and performance will be compromised.

So ultimately, MotoGP™ tyre strategy is all about optimising grip levels for the rider. Repsol Honda crew chief, Santi Hernandez, explains in this video on the official MotoGP™ YouTube channel what a difference optimal grip makes.

“The important thing is how you come out of the corner,” asserts Hernandez. “Between entry, middle and exit, if you don’t have good grip it is more difficult to stop the bike, in the middle of the corner when you are at maximum lean angle and you don’t have that grip you are not able to open the gas as soon as you want. The more grip you have, the better the acceleration. When you don’t have good grip, the rear tyre just spins more and you lose time.”

When the riders get their tyre choice right, they also have better rear and front end feeling, which helps them avoid issues such as ‘chattering’. The phenomenon of ‘chattering’ is explained in this YouTube video featuring LCR Honda's Technical Director, Christophe Bourguignon, who describes it as an alternating imbalance between front and rear grip.

Also, if the rider is uncomfortable with their tyre choice and their level of grip they may be more likely to crash, losing the front end and going down in a lowside crash, or losing then regaining rear grip, resulting in a highside crash where the bike flips from one side to another throwing the rider off forcefully.

How does MotoGP™ tyre selection work in races?: Recent on-track examples

Tyre selection impacts the riders at every Grand Prix and in recent seasons there have been clear examples where tyre choice has made a huge difference to important race results at the top end of the championship. 

At the Australian Grand Prix in 2023, Jorge Martin elected to use a soft rear tyre when all the other front runners chose the medium. Tyre wear on the soft rear saw Martin caught and passed for the lead on the last lap, with the Spanish rider ultimately finishing the race fifth. This was a crucial result for that year’s championship with eventual title winner Francesco Bagnaia completing the Phillip Island race in second.

The 2024 Grand Prix of The Americas provided another stark example of just what a difference a variance in tyre selection can have. There was a marked split between the top six on the grid in terms of those who opted for the medium and soft rear tyres.

Maverick Viñales and Pedro Acosta chose the medium and finished first and second respectively. Meanwhile Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia chose the soft rear and crossed the finishing line in third, fourth and fifth respectively. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, raced with the soft rear tyre, but crashed out of the lead at one of his favoured tracks.

Challenges in MotoGP™ tyre selection

Making the right selection of tyre for the race can sometimes be a highly difficult decision-making process for riders.

For a rider in their first season at the top level in MotoGP™, or for a rider who has changed from one manufacturer to another and is riding at a circuit for the first time on their current bike, there is greater complexity. They have less experience with the track and machine and may be relying on data and experience from their team from a previous rider.

When a track has been resurfaced since the previous visit this also affects the decision making process, as do unpredictable weather and changing track conditions.

Regarding the challenge of correct tyre selection, the approach taken varies from team to team and rider to rider. Crafar adds, “With all the factors that affect grip and tyre wear, you've got to take into account the riders individually. His style, how aggressive he is on the throttle and brakes and what he does on the bike.”

“Then you've got to take into account bike set up, geometry, suspension settings and how well the electronics work. Then there's weather factors and track temperature in particular. It’s an unbelievable amount of things to juggle and choose the right tyres.”

So now you know the score on MotoGP™ tyre strategy and want to learn more about every aspect of MotoGP™. Join the MotoGP™ Community to get exclusive video content, get all the latest news from the World Championship and receive the MotoGP™ newsletter.