PIRELLI SEES MOTOGP AS A CHANCE TO DEVELOP BETTER TYRES

Pirelli’s move into MotoGP from 2027 will expand the Italian tyre maker’s top-level racing programme, but racing chief Giorgio Barbier says the company must keep its focus on producing tyres that work for everyday customers.

Pirelli will supply MotoGP as well as Moto2 and Moto3, while leaving the production-based Superbike World Championship paddock. The company brings more than two decades of experience in WorldSBK and has supplied Formula 1 as its sole tyre provider since 2011. Barbier said Pirelli’s guiding principle remains unchanged: “What we do in racing should help us bring better products to the market.”

The new MotoGP role also comes as Michelin prepares to become the supplier for WorldSBK and its supporting classes in 2027, seeking to challenge Pirelli’s strong position among amateur racers. Barbier said Pirelli takes competitors seriously, recognising their potential and capabilities, but believes its experience has given it an advantage in turning racing knowledge into products for the wider market.

That transfer is not simply a matter of adapting a prototype. A racing tyre might cost €1,000 to produce, Barbier noted, but a road-going tyre must be far cheaper; customers would not accept those costs being passed on. Success depends on balancing quality, performance, versatility and price, and making that shift requires changes to a company’s mindset as well as its products.

MotoGP, Barbier said, will let Pirelli explore areas it has previously had less opportunity to develop. The company will be able to shape tyres more extensively and work with new materials, with the aim of improving quality and environmental performance. Pirelli has already pursued similar development in Formula 1.

His message was to embrace the technical opportunities without losing perspective: “If we don’t lose our heads because of MotoGP, we’ll continue creating better products.”