• Originally scheduled for April, the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar will now take place from November 6 to 8 at the Lusail International Circuit. Postponed due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the event is now the 20th round of the FIM World Championship MotoGP ™ 2026.
• The transition from spring to autumn should offer more moderate temperatures than in 2025, without reducing the stresses placed on tires by particularly abrasive asphalt, the presence of sand and the variations in grip related to night races.
• Building on its experience on this circuit, where four new records were set in 2025, Michelin is approaching this event with a range of Michelin Power Slick tires designed to offer the best compromise between grip, stability and consistent performance.
The 2026 FIM MotoGP World Championship continues its global tour, stopping in Qatar for the 20th round of the season. Originally scheduled for April 10-12, the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar has been postponed to November 6-8 due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. This decision, made in consultation with the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the championship promoter, and local authorities, has also led to the rescheduling of the final two rounds of the 2026 championship, which will now take place in Portugal and Spain during the last two weekends of November.
This calendar change significantly alters the context of the race. Held in April last year, the Grand Prix was marked by particularly high track temperatures, reaching 54 to 56°C during the daytime sessions. In November, the weather conditions should be more favorable, with ambient temperatures generally between 22 and 30°C. The Michelin teams will nevertheless have to contend with temperature differences between the daytime and nighttime sessions, as well as humidity that is likely to increase as the evening progresses.
Since 2004, the Lusail International Circuit, located a few kilometers from Doha, has hosted the MotoGP World Championship. It also made history in 2008 by hosting the first Grand Prix held at night. This choice, made possible by a powerful lighting system, helps to avoid extreme daytime temperatures and provides both riders and spectators with more pleasant conditions in the evening.
For the tires, however, this peculiarity presents an additional challenge. Unlike most circuits, where track temperature generally increases as the race progresses, the night races at Lusail take place on asphalt that tends to cool down minute by minute. This drop in temperature, combined with humidity and windblown sand deposits, can significantly alter the level of grip.
Modernized and completely resurfaced in 2023, the Lusail circuit remains one of the 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 macro-roughness of its surface provides a good level of grip but also promotes wear, particularly for the softer compounds. The presence of sand is another determining factor, as it can cause wheelspin and accelerate tire degradation.
Thanks to the extensive data collected since the circuit's resurfacing, Michelin now possesses in-depth knowledge of Lusail's characteristics. This information, combined with the Clermont-Ferrand-based manufacturer's simulation tools, allows them to anticipate thermal and mechanical stresses and select the tire specifications best suited to the expected conditions.
Piero Taramasso , Michelin Motorsport's two-wheeled competition manager:
“ Qatar is always a special event, as we have to contend with several factors that directly influence tire behavior. This year, the change of date should allow us to experience lower temperatures than those encountered in April 2025, but the circuit remains very demanding. As the afternoon and evening progress, the track temperature will gradually decrease, and dew may also appear. We now know this circuit very well and have a lot of data to prepare our tire allocation, but this configuration can affect how the tires perform. Last year, the Medium tires, front and rear, demonstrated excellent versatility and allowed us to break several records. This year, our objective remains the same: to offer tires capable of delivering the best performance regardless of the conditions. ”
For the 2026 Qatar Airways of Qatar Grand Prix, Michelin will offer its partners a Michelin Power Slick range consisting of two specifications (Soft and Medium) for the front wheel, identical to those of 2025. These tires have a symmetrical construction, adapted to the stresses on the front wheel of this particularly demanding track. The Hard compound, which was available last year but not used, has not been selected this year.
At the rear, the allocation also includes two rubber compounds (Soft, Medium) identical to those of 2025. Given the configuration of the track, their tread pattern is, however, asymmetrical, with a reinforcement on the right side.
In case of rain, Michelin will make its Michelin Power Rain range available in Soft and Medium specifications, for both front and rear tires.
The 2025 edition confirmed the effectiveness of Michelin's technical choices. Despite track temperatures exceeding 55°C during some sessions (but closer to 35°C at night for the race), the Michelin Power Slick Medium tires demonstrated remarkable versatility. This specification was chosen by all drivers for both front and rear tires for the Grand Prix, having already established itself as the benchmark during the Tissot Sprint.
Records to break
The 2025 performances represented an update to four records, all set by Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team): the absolute circuit record of 1'50.499, the fastest race lap of 1'52.561, as well as the Tissot Sprint (20'38.304) and Grand Prix (41'29.186) endurance records. The latter was completed more than 14 seconds faster than the previous benchmark.
The weekend program
In Lusail, the drivers will take to the track on Friday for Free Practice 1 (15:45-16:30 pm), followed by the Practice session (20:00-21:00 pm), which will determine the ten drivers directly qualified for Q2.
Saturday will be devoted to Free Practice 2, then to the two qualifying sessions (all between 15:40 p.m. and 16:20 p.m.), before the Tissot Sprint, contested over eleven laps at 20:00 p.m.
On Sunday, the pilots will compete in the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, scheduled over twenty-two laps (at 20:00 pm).
