Former MotoGP crew chief makes startling claim about unpopular tyre rule

Ex-MotoGP crew chief Ramon Forcada, who famously worked alongside Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha, says Pirelli wanted to do away with the current tyre pressure penalty system, only to be “forced” to keep it. 

Pirelli, which is set to replace long-time MotoGP tyre provider Michelin in 2027, wanted to remove the system as early as next season. 

As it stands, MotoGP riders must complete at least 30 per cent of a Sprint and 60 per cent of a Grand Prix with their front tyre pressure above the minimum 1.8-bar limit.

If they fail to do so it can lead to penalties of eight or 16 seconds for Sprints and Grands Prix, respectively.

The tyre pressure rule has proved very unpopular at times, both with riders and fans, as it has resulted in numerous podiums being lost. 

It has also caused riders to drop back in order to avoid receiving a penalty, including Jorge Martin at last weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix when he was leading the Sprint. He’d finish fourth after running wide at the penultimate corner, but the tyre pressure issue re-emerged on Sunday when Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez repeatedly exchanged positions to try to manage their front pressure.

Acosta blasted the tyre pressure penalty system after the race, telling reporters: “I mean, we looked like donkeys.

“I mean, I think he [Marc Marquez] was having the same problems as me because he let me past. I don’t know. I understand we should have a minimum pressure before going out to the race, but you cannot decide… for example, yesterday, Martin.

“I imagine that his race was thinking that [Marco] Bezzecchi and Marc were going to be in front. You cannot control what the other guys do. I think we should have a minimum pressure before we start on the grid, and then what happens happens. You cannot do anything.”

However, it looks as though the current system will remain exactly the same for 2027, according to Forcada.

Speaking on the Duralavita podcast, Forcada said: 

“From what I’ve heard, Pirelli wanted to do something completely different. I was told by Pirelli there would be a regulation, but there would be no post-race penalties or changes to the results due to the pressures. And this process is actually quite easy: you just check them beforehand and then verify them on the grid.

“However, checking on the grid is very complicated, mainly because of the temperature issue. [It’s] like they do with the fuel; the fuel is checked an hour before [the race] and an hour before, the tanks are sealed and that’s it.

“Well, make sure to do the pressures half an hour before the race because the thing is, if you do it right on the grid, it might be an issue. [They will keep penalising] because they are forced to. And besides, I suppose they don’t want to come in like a bull in a china shop either and say ‘I’m coming in here, I’m going to ruin everything for you and I’m going to show you that this is a disaster’.”

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