MICHELIN DENIES TYRE CHOICES ARE TILTING THE TITLE RACE

Michelin chief Piero Taramasso has rejected claims that the tyre supplier is influencing the MotoGP title fight by choosing compounds that favour Aprilia over Ducati.

The debate intensified after the Austrian Grand Prix, when former rider Marco Melandri said Michelin could effectively win the championship for Jorge Martin, who leads Marc Marquez by two points. Melandri argued that races could be decided in advance by whether Michelin brought its reinforced rear tyre, a construction that has historically caused difficulties for Ducati.

Speaking to Italian television at Motegi, Taramasso dismissed the conspiracy theory in blunt terms. He later explained to Moto.it that his response was aimed at those alleging Michelin was deliberately helping one manufacturer and deciding who wins or loses. He said Ducati and Aprilia have known the heat-treated tyre for years, giving both teams and their riders time to understand how it behaves.

“For me now it’s like a normal tyre,” Taramasso said, adding that it is no longer an unfamiliar option that automatically changes a bike’s prospects. He acknowledged that tyre performance can vary with the circuit and that teams’ ability to interpret the tyre, make adjustments and adapt to conditions matters. As with standard tyres, he said, some competitors will work more effectively with a particular option at a particular venue.

Results so far offer examples of different manufacturers succeeding with the reinforced casing. Marco Bezzecchi won the opening rounds in Thailand and Brazil, where Michelin supplied a harder construction, while Marquez took the Goiania Sprint. In Austria, Martin claimed pole and won the Sprint, but Pedro Acosta beat him in the Grand Prix; Marquez finished fifth.

Michelin also brought reinforced rear tyres to Motegi after the circuit was resurfaced. Marquez nevertheless won the Grand Prix, while Michelin withdrew the soft tyres after tears and blisters appeared during the Sprint.

The heat-resistant rear is set to return in Indonesia, where temperatures are expected to top 30 degrees. Ducati are preparing for a possible points setback at Mandalika, a circuit where the factory team struggled last season. However, Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer won there on a GP24, offering Ducati’s wider camp reason for optimism.