MotoGP™ tyres are designed and constructed to perform optimally in extremely intense 45-minute races at speeds exceeding 360km/h. During this time the tyres will cover from 110km to 120km, being pushed to the limit under the massive acceleration and braking forces produced by the hugely powerful 1000cc MotoGP™ prototype motorcycles being ridden by the best riders on the planet.
Beneath the specially designed outer rubber compounds are inner layers which feature materials such as nylon, polyester, or aramid, supported by textile cords and even steel. The tyres in MotoGP vary in specific characteristics depending on the circuit and rider requirement at each Grand Prix, offering a range of softness/hardness and durability.
MotoGP tyre design means that some tyres used in Grand Prix racing even feature an asymmetrical design, meaning they can handle more pressure on their left or right side, which helps with performance on tracks where the riders lean either predominantly left or right.
MotoGP tyres are designed to provide maximum grip at lean angles of up to 64 degrees, working across track surface temperatures ranging from 10°C in autumn at Phillip Island, Australia, to over 60°C at Losail in Qatar. The tyres must provide as much grip as possible for the riders in practice, qualifying and races, with different tyres being used at different moments of each race weekend.
The tyres must be able to resist acceleration forces, braking forces and lateral cornering loads that a road tyre simply couldn’t resist over a prolonged period of time. Designing a tyre that does all of this consistently, reliably and to identical spec for every rider on the grid, is one of the most complex engineering challenges in motorsport.
Michelin - the official MotoGP tyre supplier through 2026, before Pirelli become the official supplier from 2027 onwards – bring a selection of slick tyres for dry conditions and rain tyres for wet and mixed conditions to each Grand Prix.
This is motogp.com’s ultimate guide to MotoGP tyre design.
What is actually inside a MotoGP tyre?
As we deep dive into the intricacies of how MotoGP tyres are made, let’s go layer-by-layer and examine what’s going on from the inside to the outside of the tyres used in the most exciting sport on earth, starting with the carcass.
MotoGP tyre carcass:
- This is the structural skeleton of the tyre, comprising a lattice of textile cords (typically nylon, polyester or aramid) that give the tyre its shape and absorb the loads of racing.
- On the very inside of the tyre sits a base sealing a first layer of rubber which contacts with the wheel rim.
- The carcass construction is one of the most critical design variables, as it determines how the tyre flexes under load, which affects how it generates heat and how it handles at the limit.
- Different carcass constructions are used for different circuits - a softer carcass for circuits with flowing corners and lower peak loads versus a reinforced carcass for circuits with long, heavy braking zones or extreme lateral loads.
- Michelin has confirmed using reinforced carcass constructions specifically for circuits like the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Buriram in Thailand due to the high loads those circuits generate.
MotoGP tyre belt package:
- Steel and textile cord belts sit beneath the tread, stabilising the contact patch under load.
- At speeds exceeding 360km/h, centrifugal force pushes to expand the tyre outwards and the belt package resists this, keeping the tyre shape and the contact patch consistent.
MotoGP tyre rubber compounds:
- This is the visible working surface of the tyre, the layer of rubber that actually contacts the track.
- This is where most of the perceived performance difference between soft, medium, and hard compounds lives.
- The compound formulation is Michelin's most closely guarded design secret, with specific compound blends utilised for different temperature ranges, track surfaces and circuit demands.
- Asymmetric compounds are used on many circuits, featuring a harder compound on one shoulder (typically the side that takes more load through the circuit's dominant corner direction) and a softer compound on the other.
MotoGP tyre RFID chips:
- Every single Michelin MotoGP tyre contains an embedded RFID chip, which is a tiny electronic tag.
- This chip holds all the tyre's production data: the compound specification, the carcass specification, the manufacturing date and batch.
- Michelin uses this for complete traceability, so they can identify the exact history of any tyre that has ever been used on a MotoGP bike.
From laboratory to lap record - how Michelin designs a new tyre
To understand how a tyre goes from initial conception to use in a MotoGP race, let’s take a look at Michelin’s distinct research, design and development process.
Michelin's motorsport engineers begin with the rubber compound, blending combinations of rubber, synthetic rubber, silica, carbon black, sulphur and other elements to achieve specific performance targets.
The compound is developed to work within a specific temperature operating window. MotoGP slick tyres are designed to provide maximum grip and perform optimally between approximately 80°C and 120°C.
Computer simulation is used extensively in the early design stages, as virtual models of the tyre's behaviour under load allow engineers to narrow down the design before a single physical prototype is created.
Physical tyre construction commences
Once the tyre manufacturer knows the detailed specifications of what is required for a batch of tyres, manufacturing can commence. The tyres are built on a spinning, heated steel mould.
Robotic arms apply the component layers in sequence: the base sealing rubber first, then the carcass cord layers, the steel belt package, and finally the working rubber compound.
This is a precision manufacturing process, as the consistency of every layer directly affects the consistency of the tyre's performance on track.
The ‘Vulcanisation’ stage of manufacturing a MotoGP tyre
Next the assembled tyre goes into a press where it is subjected to high heat and high pressure, under a process called vulcanisation.
The vulcanisation process chemically bonds all the layers together and permanently sets the tyre's shape and properties. The specific conditions, temperature and pressure of vulcanisation directly affects the tyre's final characteristics.
The importance of tyre testing in MotoGP
New variations of compounds and constructions are tested extensively before being introduced into the tyre allocations of the riders for use in the MotoGP World Championship.
Laboratory testing measures the theoretical technical properties in terms of stiffness, hardness, heat generation and durability.
Track testing with MotoGP riders at official test sessions provides real-world validation, though only limited testing sessions are available to the tyre supplier and the relevant participating manufacturers (Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM and Yamaha).
Over the years, Michelin has narrowed down a portfolio of several dozen compound specifications to know precisely which two variations are suitable for a particular Grand Prix. At most race weekends, teams have one softer option and one harder to choose from. The selection is based on circuit characteristics and the data from previous years at that venue.
Why MotoGP tyres are custom-designed for every circuit
So Michelin does not bring the same tyres to every Grand Prix. The compound and carcass specifications are chosen specifically for each circuit based on its unique demands.
The variables Michelin considers for each event include:
- Track surface abrasiveness: rougher surfaces generate more heat and wear down compounds faster
- Circuit layout: circuits with long, fast corners place different lateral loads on the tyre than circuits with short, tight corners
- Dominant corner direction: circuits that turn predominantly one way (e.g. more right-hand corners) place asymmetric loads on the tyre, which is why asymmetric compound tyres (harder on one shoulder, softer on the other) are used at many venues
- Ambient and track surface temperature: a compound that works optimally in the heat of Qatar performs differently in the cooler conditions of Phillip Island
- MotoGP race duration and Sprint vs Grand Prix format: since the Sprint format was introduced to MotoGP in 2023, riders now effectively need a tyre that can also perform for a shorter distance on Saturday. This added a new stress on Michelin’s products.
There are always new challenges in MotoGP
At the 2026 Brazilian GP in Goiânia, Michelin were providing tyres for a Grand Prix at a new venue for MotoGP. As there had been no prior MotoGP tyre testing at the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia - Ayrton Senna, Michelin used simulations to understand the circuit’s specific demands.
They therefore supplied the teams with asymmetric front and rear tyres with a more resistant compound on the right shoulder because the circuit layout places higher loads on the right side.
The rear allocation included options with two different carcass specifications to give teams flexibility in managing tyre temperature across the race distance.
This circuit-by-circuit customisation is why Michelin transports hundreds of tyres to each Grand Prix, not a single universal product, but a tailored range built specifically for that venue.
2026 — Michelin's final season and the Pirelli era ahead
Michelin has been the sole tyre supplier for the MotoGP premier class for 11 consecutive seasons, since 2016.
During that time, Michelin has lowered the number of tyre specifications offered to riders per event while continuously improving safety and performance, which is a significant engineering achievement. This is highlighted by the numerous lap records that have been broken at MotoGP circuits worldwide during the Michelin era.
From 2027, Pirelli takes over as official sole tyre supplier across all Grand Prix classes - MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 - whilst Michelin will become the new official sole tyre supplier to WorldSBK.
The Pirelli era will bring a new design philosophy, new compounds and new constructions to MotoGP, which will be a significant change for the riders, teams, manufacturers and fans to follow, along with a raft of other sweeping changes in the updated 2027 MotoGP regulations.
MotoGP tyre design significantly enhances rider performance
Every time a MotoGP rider makes a statement such as "the front feels different today" or "I had a great feeling with the rear immediately for qualifying", they are describing the end result of thousands of hours of compound development, carcass engineering, circuit simulation, physical testing and intricate manufacturing.
MotoGP tyres are not a commodity. They are one of the most sophisticated engineered products in motorsport, redesigned every year, tailored to every circuit, and pushed to their absolute limit every race weekend.
Q: How are MotoGP tyres made?
A: MotoGP tyres are built on a spinning heated steel mould using computer-controlled manufacturing. Component layers are applied in sequence - the base sealing rubber, carcass cord layers, steel belt package, and working rubber compound - before the tyre undergoes vulcanisation, a high-heat and high-pressure process that bonds all the layers together and permanently sets the tyre's properties.
Q: Who designs MotoGP tyres?
A: Michelin Motorsport designs and manufactures all MotoGP premier class tyres through the 2026 season. Their team of engineers develops new compound formulations and carcass constructions each year, working closely with teams and riders. From 2027, Pirelli takes over as the sole tyre supplier across all Grand Prix classes.
Q: Are MotoGP tyres different for each circuit?
A: Yes. Michelin brings circuit-specific tyre specifications to each Grand Prix, tailored to that venue's surface abrasiveness, layout, temperature conditions and corner direction profile. Asymmetric tyres, with different compound hardness on each shoulder, are used at many circuits to match the asymmetric loads generated by circuits with a dominant corner direction.
Q: What temperature do MotoGP tyres operate at?
A: MotoGP slick tyres are designed to perform optimally between approximately 80°C and 120°C. Michelin mandates that tyres are pre-heated to 90°C using electric tyre warmers before bikes go onto the track. During racing, front tyres typically exceed 100°C and rear tyres can exceed 120°C due to the higher driving and braking loads they carry.
Q: What is inside a MotoGP tyre?
A: A MotoGP tyre contains multiple engineered layers: a sealing rubber inner layer, a carcass of textile cords that forms the structural skeleton, steel and textile belt layers beneath the tread, and the working rubber compound on the surface. Every tyre also contains an embedded RFID chip holding its full production and specification data for traceability.
Q: How many tyres does a MotoGP rider get per race weekend?
A: In 2026, each MotoGP rider receives 22 slick tyres per Grand Prix weekend - 10 front and 12 rear - from two front specifications and two rear specifications at most events. At circuits with high weather variability, a third front specification may be available. Riders also receive 13 rain tyres per event: 6 front and 7 rear.