• The MICHELIN Power Slick tires performed perfectly in the extreme track temperatures encountered during the three days of the Monster Energy Grand Prix MotoGP
of Czechia, with asphalt reaching nearly 60°C.
• Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) twice improved the absolute record at Automotodrom Brno, bringing it to 1'51.139, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) set a new lap record of 1'53.122 at the end of the race.
• Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) won a particularly fast Grand Prix, completed in 39'51.297, 13 seconds faster than in 2025 and, for the first time, under the 40-minute mark.
The Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia, the ninth round of the 2026 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship, took place from June 19 to 21 at the Automotodrom Brno. Under a blazing sun and in exceptionally hot conditions, the MICHELIN Power tires allowed the riders to fully exploit the potential of the Czech circuit and its resurfaced track, which will be updated in 2025.
Track temperatures were one of the main challenges of the weekend, regularly exceeding 50°C during the three days.
Despite these high values, the two MICHELIN Power Slick specifications made available to Michelin's partners delivered high levels of grip, stability, and consistency. This performance confirmed the relevance of the narrower allocation chosen for the 2026 edition, consisting of Soft and Medium compounds for both the front and rear wheels.
An allowance perfectly suited to high temperatures
All available specifications were evaluated from the first day. At the front, the Medium quickly established itself as the benchmark solution thanks to its braking stability, precision, and ability to perform consistently despite rising temperatures.
At the rear, the Soft and Medium tires proved to be very close in terms of pure performance.
The Soft tire offered extra grip during the opening laps, while the Medium provided greater stability and consistency on longer stints. Its combination with the front Medium proved particularly well-balanced.
During the Tissot Sprint race, the riders used both rear tire specifications. The Soft tire notably demonstrated its potential with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Márquez, while the Medium tire proved particularly effective with Ai Ogura and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
The pace of the Sprint race was significantly higher than that observed a year earlier. Lap times were on average one second faster per lap, representing an improvement of approximately ten seconds over the ten laps.
A new all-time record as early as Friday
The performance of the MICHELIN Power Slick also resulted in a succession of new records.
On Friday afternoon, Ai Ogura set a lap time of 1'51.735 on his Aprilia for the Trackhouse MotoGP Team. This improved the previous benchmark of 1'52.303, set by Francesco Bagnaia during Qualifying for the 2025 Grand Prix, by more than half a second. During the same session, seven riders also clocked faster than the previous outright record.
Ai Ogura raised the bar even higher during Saturday's qualifying session. The Japanese driver secured pole position and a new absolute lap record at the Automotodrom Brno with a time of 1:51.139. All twelve drivers who participated in Q2 improved upon the previous benchmark time of 2025.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) also set a new top speed record on the Czech circuit, reaching a measured speed of 328,2 km/h. He improved the previous record, which he had held since the 2025 edition, by 3 km/h.
The Medium rear tire was the preferred choice for the 21 laps of the Grand Prix.
For Sunday's Grand Prix, all the drivers selected the MICHELIN Power Slick Medium for the front tire. At the rear, the Medium was also chosen by the entire field, with the exception of Joan Mir, who opted for the Soft despite the high track temperature and the 21-lap distance.
The race was both fast and spectacular, animated by a leading trio consisting of Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Márquez and Ai Ogura.
Marc Márquez finally prevailed ahead of Ai Ogura and Francesco Bagnaia, completing the 21 laps of the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia 2026 in 39'51.297, 13 seconds faster than the winner of the 2025 edition. For the first time in MotoGP™ history at Brno, the total distance of the Grand Prix was thus covered in less than 40 minutes.
Also worth highlighting is the performance of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who strung together a series of fast laps at the end of the race.
In the 21st and final lap, he set a new record for the fastest lap in the race with a time of 1'53.122, improving by 0,569 seconds the previous reference, set by Marc Márquez in 2025.
« This weekend was particularly positive for Michelin, as we were able to confirm the relevance of all the decisions made based on the data collected during our return to Brno in 2025. »Says Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin Motorsport's two-wheeled competition. This year we had a more limited allocation, with only Soft and Medium tires for both the front and rear, and these four solutions perfectly covered the needs of our partners.
The conditions were extremely demanding. We drove for three days under intense sunshine, with track temperatures regularly exceeding 50°C and even approaching 60°C on Saturday afternoon. In these conditions, the tires must provide a lot of grip, but also control their temperature and maintain consistency over time.
The weekend's lap times were remarkable: Ai Ogura broke the outright record twice, all Q2 riders were faster than the previous benchmark, Fabio Di Giannantonio improved the race record on the final lap, and Marc Márquez completed the entire distance in under 40 minutes. The Grand Prix was 13 seconds faster than last year, despite exceptionally high temperatures. We also recorded a new top speed record with Marco Bezzecchi at 328,2 km/h. This demonstrates both the sheer performance of the MICHELIN Power Slicks, their consistency, and their ability to inspire confidence in riders right up to the final kilometers. »
The next round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship will take place in the Netherlands. The Tissot Grand Prix of The Netherlands will be held from June 26 to 28, 2026 at the Assen TT circuit.
MotoGP Brno Michelin Power MotoGP Brno Michelin Power
