• Fast-paced qualifying, a completely crazy Tissot Sprint and an intense Grand Prix set the rhythm for this weekend of MotoGP ™ in Qatar. Michelin tires delivered consistent performance at the highest level.
• The different tire combinations allowed all Michelin partners to express themselves confidently on the track thanks to the versatility of the Michelin Power Slick ranges.
• The 2025 records started falling as early as Friday, when Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) set a lap time of 1'50.406, improving Marc Márquez's (Ducati Lenovo Team) 2025 reference time by 93 thousandths of a second. But it is Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) who now holds the Lusail record, with a time of 1'50.028. The fastest lap record and the Grand Prix duration were also improved.
Held in November after its postponement from the spring, the 20th round of the season put Michelin tires to the test on the demanding Lusail circuit. Abrasive asphalt, the potential presence of sand, and grip conditions likely to change as night falls and temperatures drop were all factors that Michelin's partners had to consider during setup.
To feel confident and be able to fully express their talent, they were able to rely on Michelin's experienced teams, who had prepared a tire package particularly well-suited to this configuration. This is partly why the pace set by the race bikes throughout the weekend was so impressive.
Modernized and completely resurfaced in 2023, the Lusail circuit remains one of the longest (5.38 km) and most demanding on tires on the calendar. Its fast layout, featuring the longest straight of the season (1,068 m), 10 right-hand corners, and 6 left-hand corners, places significant stress on the tires. The Michelin teams' experience with this circuit, which is regularly used for private testing, was once again crucial.
Piero Taramasso , Michelin Motorsport's two-wheeled competition manager:
“At Lusail, we witnessed some very high-level racing, contested at a particularly fast pace. From Friday onwards, our partners quickly found their rhythm and displayed great competitiveness. The track temperatures, lower than in April, proved to be an advantage. The abrasiveness of the asphalt and the presence of sand, which could be seen swirling around the bikes, especially on the straights, remained challenging factors to manage. Once again, the Medium compound was the preferred choice for the front tire, while the choices were split between Soft and Medium (though the latter was the majority) for the rear tire on the Tissot Sprint. In the Grand Prix, all the riders opted for the Medium/Medium combination to benefit from consistently high performance throughout the race. On such a unique circuit, and with this event being held at an unusual time in the season, our experience and the wealth of data we've gathered played a crucial role in advising our partners. This allowed them to fully exploit the potential of their bikes and have a lot of fun on the track.” The improvement in the absolute circuit record, as well as the Grand Prix duration and fastest lap time, underlines the effectiveness of the rider-bike-tire combination, both in terms of pure performance and consistency. Maintaining such a pace for 22 laps, or more than 118 kilometers, requires tires that inspire confidence and allow the riders to push their limits. We are pleased to have contributed to giving them the means to express themselves fully and with confidence throughout this Qatari weekend.
For Qatar Airways of Qatar 2026, Michelin had made available to its partners a Michelin Power Slick range consisting of two symmetrical specifications (Soft and Medium) for the front wheel, and two Soft (asymmetrical, reinforced on the right side) and Medium tires for the rear wheel.
On Saturday afternoon, the Tissot Sprint was won by Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). Marc Márquez had chosen a Medium/Soft tire combination, while Fabio Di Giannantonio switched to Medium/Medium after a red flag on the first lap (he was initially on Medium/Soft), while Jorge Martin rode with a Medium/Medium setup for the entire weekend.
On Sunday, the Grand Prix was won by Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), ahead of Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Tackhouse MotoGP Team).
It's worth noting that the Grand Prix duration was slightly improved: 41'29.173, compared to 41'29.186 in 2025, which represented an improvement of 14,468 seconds compared to the previous record. Marc Marquez also improved the fastest lap time, setting a new record of 1'52.558 on lap 13 of the Grand Prix. The previous record (1'52.561) was set in 2025 and also belonged to him.
The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will take place at the Portimao circuit, with the Repsol Grand Prix of Portugal, which will be held from November 20 to 22.
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