MotoGP riders offered limited clues about what the championship could look like in 2027 after testing the new 850cc bikes and Pirelli’s new slick tyre range for the first time on Monday.
A day after the Czech GP, Pirelli hosted a private test at Brno to get feedback from race riders ahead of its entry into MotoGP next year. All development work was carried out on 850cc prototypes, with all five manufacturers taking part.
Crucially, this meant that almost half of the current grid got their first taste of 2027 bikes and tyre package, giving them a head start for MotoGP’s next big ruleset.
The test was held behind closed doors at the request of Michelin, which remains the championship’s sole tyre supplier until the end of the current season. Further, manufacturers restricted their riders from openly commenting on the new 850cc bikes and specifically the Pirelli tyres.
However, they were still allowed to provide their overall views about the regulation change, giving some insights into the direction MotoGP is heading next year.
With smaller capacity engines, restrictions on aerodynamics and a complete ban on ride-height devices, the next-generation prototypes will be slower than the current 1000cc machines, at least at the start of the 2027 season.
Further, the bikes themselves will behave differently on track, and riders will have to go through a steep learning curve to adapt to the new machinery.
Joan Mir, who tested for Honda despite his impending move to Gresini Ducati next year, offered perhaps the clearest glimpse into the new package.
“As you can imagine we cannot say so much, but the bike is fun,” he said at Assen. “The corner speed also is higher, the [top] speed obviously is less. There’s like a lot of room for improvement in a new project, so it’s fantastic.”
Asked if it was more fun to ride without the ride height devices, Mir added:
“With the 1000cc, we don’t use the device in every corner. We know how our bike works without the device.
“But it was fun; normally the Monday test is fun. No pressure, you go there, it’s no problem.
“What is true is that the style is very different; it’s very different.”
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team, Giorgio Barbier
Photo by: Pirelli
While the bikes themselves will be new, the biggest change riders will have to get accustomed to is the switch from Michelin to Pirelli rubber. Riders are aware of the challenge they will face with the new tyre supplier, and any data they gather before the 2027 season begins will be immensely useful.
Some riders who are switching manufacturers over the winter, and hence unable to ride at Brno, are now pushing to be allowed to sample Pirelli tyres at the Spielberg test using adapted versions of current machinery.
The last time MotoGP had a new tyre supplier was in 2016, when Michelin joined and took over the role from Bridgestone.
“The other tyres [Pirellis] work in a different way,” said Mir. “It’s a completely opposite thing, so everything is quite new.
“We will have to adapt, there will be surprises next year in terms of riders, because it’s completely different.
“With the other tyre, it looks like you have more movement on the bike. Now there’s a huge room of improvement, we don’t know what it will be next year.
“But the lap that I did on the bike, I enjoyed it.”
Asked if the bike was less physical, he added: “Less physical? Probably yes. But if it’s lighter, you also make the thing a little faster, so…”
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi enjoyed his first day on the next-gen Aprilia after missing the Czech GP due to a ban, but didn’t elaborate on his experience.
“It was a good day, I think one of the best days on the bike for me because of the emotions of the day before,” he said.
“The bike looks cool. Of course, it’s very early to say it and, from the factory, they still need to do a lot of work.
“But also for me as a rider, to adapt will be super tough, and it will be an important key.
“The track was good. Of course, it’s difficult to give a clear comment because from 2022, when I made my debut in MotoGP to now, the bike has always been almost the same. Same power with the devices and everything. So, just 60 laps can’t replace five years. But the first impression was not too bad.”
Asked if it was more fun without the ride-height devices, Bezzecchi joked: “You are speaking with a guy who is loving his bike. I really like and enjoy the way to ride the current MotoGP bike. But, I think it will be a lot of fun. In the end, motorbikes are good.”
Another class
KTM’s Pedro Acosta said the 850cc bikes felt so different that he felt he was almost riding in a different category.
“I think it will be really interesting for us and even for the fans,” he said. “It’s true that it feels like another class, compared to how powerful our engines are at the moment. But the first impression was quite good.”
Ducati’s Marc Marquez, who will have Acosta as his team-mate in the factory garage next year, offered little in terms of insights.
“A first impression is always a first impression. You need to take care of everything.
“A lot of things, a lot of jobs for the teams, a lot of jobs with the new things that we will have in the championship. But the starting point was not bad.”
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