One of the most absurd images in modern MotoGP isn't a spectacular crash or a controversial overtake. It's a rider celebrating a podium finish in front of millions of viewers only to learn an hour later that he should never have been there in the first place. This is due to tire regulations inherited from the Michelin era, regulations that Pirelli will now have to deal with.
Joan mir knows something about it. When Honda announced his departure towards Gresini For 2027, the Japanese manufacturer paid tribute to him by mentioning his " three podiums "with HRC." A statement that may surprise anyone who consults the official championship statistics, which only count them two people.
The third one? The one from 2026 Catalan Grand PrixA very real podium finish on the circuit, but erased from the rankings more than an hour after the finish because of the famous rule about tire pressureThis situation perfectly sums up the growing unease surrounding this regulation.
Let's be clear: no one is questioning the need to guarantee pilot safety. If Michelin The fact that minimum pressures are imposed is due to perfectly legitimate technical reasons. The aerodynamic constraints of current MotoGP bikes and the temperatures generated by riding in a pack can indeed cause problematic situations. The real issue lies elsewhere.
In what other sport can you see a podium celebrated publicly only to be altered more than an hour after the finish for an infraction that no one can visually detect? Can you imagine a Le Mans 24 Hours winner being disqualified an hour after lifting the trophy because an electronic sensor recorded technical data invisible to the public? Or an Olympic champion losing their medal after the awards ceremony for a few grams of pressure in visually compliant gear? MotoGP has created a problem of understanding for itself with its fans.
Pirelli's plan to kill "absurd" penalties
With the arrival of the Italian manufacturer in 2027, many imagined that this rule would naturally disappear. This will not be the case. George Barbier, director of motorcycle competition at Pirellihas confirmed that the regulations will be maintained initially. This decision is ultimately quite logical, as the Italian manufacturer does not yet have sufficient experience with the 850cc MotoGP bikes.
As a reminder, the rule requires you to stay above 1,80 bar at the front (and 1,68 bar at the rear) under penalty of massive sanctions of 16 seconds on Sunday and 8 seconds during the Sprint. PirelliHe assures us: their tires are designed differently and should not encourage teams to cheat in order to gain performance at low pressures:
« It is clear that we have a different design, different materials and different service pressures. I don't believe a Pirelli tire performs better at 1,4 bar than at 2,0 bar.Therefore, we should not encounter this type of problem. »
However, the Italian manufacturer prefers to observe before deciding to eliminate this controversial rule: However, if we refer to the pressures recommended by Pirelli, we will need to observe whether this poses a problem when the pressure drops below this range.For now, we are therefore maintaining the regulations, hoping not to have to apply them.We will then decide whether to modify or delete it.. »
Barber aims to be reassuring for the future: the eraser Pirelli will offer much better tolerance, reducing the risk of podium finishes being cancelled due to minor temperature variations:
« There is one thing I have noticed: the current supplier is extremely sensitive to pressure variationsIf a certain threshold is exceeded, the risk is significant.Our tires offer a fairly wide operating pressure range.The manufacturer has a choice. The tire's behavior does not vary much from one pressure to another. »
The most interesting sentence from his speech on Motorsport This is probably it: Pirelli hopes never to have to apply this ruleIn other words, even the future manufacturer implicitly recognizes that seeing a driver lose a podium finish after the race is a situation nobody wants.
However, there are several reasons for hope. The 2027 MotoGP bikes will have smaller engines, significantly reduced aerodynamics, and a different technical philosophy. Pirelli also uses tires whose operating window appears to be much wider than that of Michelin current.
According to George Barbiertire performance Pirelli They vary much less when the pressure deviates slightly from the recommended values. This characteristic could significantly reduce the risk of sporting sanctions.
Ultimately, the real issue isn't about regulations. It's about media coverage. A sport needs its results to be immediately understandable. The winner must be the winner when the checkered flag falls. The podium must remain the podium after the awards ceremony.
Spectators readily accept penalties for jump starts, overtaking under yellow flags, or collisions during the race, as these are visible and understandable. A penalty based on electronically measured tire pressure over a certain percentage of laps is much more difficult to explain to the general public. Pirelli seems to have perfectly understood this problem.
The good news is that the Italian manufacturer isn't ruling anything out. The regulations will be maintained as a precaution in 2027, before potentially being modified or even scrapped if new motorcycles and tires allow it. Because nobody wins when a rider learns they're no longer on the podium after having already posed for the official photo. Not the rider, not the team, not the fans… and certainly not MotoGP itself.
