The first tests for the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship, which take place from 6 to 8 February at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, mark the start of an exciting and promising new season. Through until November, the 22 riders (11 teams) will meet 21 times on circuits around the world, in the United States, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and of course, Europe. Race tracks with very different profiles, whose characteristics are all challenges for Michelin engineers, who were responsible for developing a range of tyres capable of responding to extreme demands regardless of the weather, the topography or speed of the circuit, the type of asphalt and the number of turns. In MotoGP, each circuit has its share of very specific challenges!
Developments in the MICHELIN Power Slick range for the 2024 season
The new tyres offered this season to Michelin partners required many months of development. For the teams, this is not a jump into the unknown because their riders had the opportunity to test the tyres and unanimously validate their performance throughout last season. These new compounds are the beginnings of another change: in 2025, Michelin will launch another new MotoGP tyre, this time with a new structure. It was important for the French manufacturer to evolve its MotoGP ranges smoothly in order to best support its partners, and starting with the rubber compounds was the best way.
Front tyre: this features many new elements in the composition of its compounds, which also result from a new so-called 'mixing' process. Generally speaking, the 2024 tyres are significantly stiffer than last season in order to better respond to the increasingly high stresses exerted on the front wheel.
Rear tyre: here too Michelin has used new technologies, ever more innovative both in terms of components and the 'mixing' techniques. The objective is to obtain greater consistency of performance, and to reduce the phenomenon of wear over the laps.
The front and rear tyre rubber compounds have different compositions and use different manufacturing methods.
Tyre allocation kept to a minimum
As in all motorsport disciplines in which it is involved, Michelin develops technological and logistical solutions in a spirit of efficiency and environmental protection. The measures taken in 2023 in terms of reducing the number of tyres allowed per race weekend have been maintained. "Fewer tyres used means fewer raw materials to source and use, less logistics, less assembly and disassembly and less recycling" underlines Piero Taramasso, Michelin two-wheel competition manager. "Last season, we saw that the performance and versatility of our tyres allowed the riders to put on a high-level show. Using fewer tyres while reinforcing the notion of competition and increasing the level of sportiness, allows us to take a further step towards more sustainable and responsible motor sports. This is a real success, which is the result of the unfailing commitment of the Michelin Motorsport teams."
For the front and rear, Michelin will once again offer 3 compounds of rubber this year: Soft, Medium and Hard, drawn from a catalogue of different compounds (7 options, from the softest to the hardest) depending on the circuit characteristics and weather data. For each race weekend, 3 tyre specifications will be selected for the front wheel, and 2 for the rear (usually a Soft-Medium or Medium-Hard combination). Each rider will have an allocation of 15 front tyres (5 of each compound) and 12 rear tyres (7 of the softest compound and 5 of the hardest). Concerning rain tyres, the allocation is always 6 front tyres and 7 rears, in two specifications (Soft and Medium).
From this allocation, each rider will be able to use a total of 10 front tyres and 12 rears each weekend. Due to these provisions, in three years Michelin has managed to reduce the number of tyres used during a season by 1,400. This reduction followed the observation of tyres actually consumed, with a view to rationalizing production and optimizing stocks, and consequently protecting the environment.
The rear tyres are in the vast majority of cases asymmetrical, in other words they use two rubber compounds which are more or less reinforced depending on the number of right or left turns, whereas the front tyres are almost always symmetrical. There are only three front tyre exceptions in the season, on the Sachsenring (Germany), Phillip Island (Australia) and Valencia (Spain) circuits. In these cases, their tread is made up of two distinct compounds, split one-third/two-thirds.
Note that at Sokol (Kazakhstan) and Aragon (Spain), two circuits which are either new or returning to the championship, Michelin will provide its partners with an additional tyre specification for the front and rear. Riders will therefore have a wider range of tyre choices to carry out their tests and set-up, which increases the level of performance, and also safety.
The 2024 season seen by Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin’s two-wheel competition:
"Last season was very interesting because it saw a reduction in the number of compounds and tyres, and we saw that everything worked very well. We successfully managed to combine our environmental commitment with an extreme level of sportiness, and the Grand Prix riders broke 36 speed or lap time records during the season.
"For 2024, we are resetting all the counters because we have new rubber compounds, and we have no doubts about their performance since they have already been tested and appreciated by the riders during the test sessions. The first challenge we face this season is more of an industrial one, because as we are starting from scratch we have to produce all the tyres for the entire season. As always, we have anticipated shipments to the countries hosting the races, because we prefer to have our tyres transported by ship rather than by plane, for reasons of environmental footprint and cost.
"After the formidable battles that punctuated the 2023 season, I am convinced that the 2024 championship will be just as exciting, with new teams, and motorcycles with ever more advanced technology which will highlight the quality of our new tyres. There will be two circuits which are unknown to us: Sokol (Kazakhstan), for which we were able to do simulations but where we have never raced, and also Aragon (Spain) whose layout we know but whose asphalt will be redone in spring. Under these conditions, all the data we had becomes obsolete and we will be back in the discovery phase. However, we have made all the arrangements to ensure that everything goes well, and we now cannot wait for the season to start."
The 2024 MotoGP calendar
The riders will meet 21 times during the season. For Sokol and Aragon, which are two new/renewed tracks, Michelin will provide an additional tyre specification, as provided for in the regulations.
In the date changes, we note that Losail (Qatar) returns at the start of the season, after having constituted the penultimate round of the 2023 championship due to its renovation. The Catalan Grand Prix, which had slipped from June to September in 2023, will take place this year in May. A short break will take place between the beginning of July and the beginning of August, then from the beginning of September to early November the big Asia tour will take place in two loops of three races. The season will traditionally end at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia (Spain), where the 2023 world championship title was played out.
| DATE | COUNTRY | CIRCUIT |
| March 8 to 10 | Qatar | Losail |
| March 22 to 24 | Portugal | Portimão |
| April 12 to 14 | United-States | COTA – Austin |
| April 26 to 28 | Spain | Jerez de la Frontera |
| May 10 to 12 | France | Le Mans |
| May 24 to 26 | Spain | Catalunya – Barcelona |
| May 31 to June 2 | Italy | Mugello |
| June 14 to 16 | Kazakhstan | Sokol |
| June 28 to 30 | The Netherlands | TT Assen |
| July 5 to 7 | Germany | Sachsenring |
| August 2 to 4 | England | Silverstone |
| August 16 to 18 | Austria | Red Bull – Spielberg |
| August 30 to September 1st | Spain | Aragon |
| September 6 to 8 | San Marino | Misano Adriatico |
| Septembre 20 to 22 | India | Buddh |
| September 27 to 29 | Indonesia | Mandalika |
| October 4 to 6 | Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| October 17 to 20 | Australia | Phillip Island |
| October 25 to 27 | Thailand | Buriram |
| Novembre 1st to 3 | Malaysia | Sepang |
| November 15 to 17 | Spain | Valence |
Michelin's partners in MotoGP – 11 teams and 22 riders
| Team | Riders |
| Ducati Lenovo Team | Pecco Bagnaia (Ita) Enea Bastianini (Ita) |
| Monster Energy Yamaha | Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Alex Rins (Esp) |
| Aprilia Racing Team | Aleix Espargaró (Esp) Maverick Viñales (Esp) |
| Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | Brad Binder (RSA) Jack Miller (Aust) |
| Repsol Honda Team | Luca Marini (Ita) Joan Mir (Esp) |
| Prima Pramac Team | Jorge Martin (Esp) Franco Morbidelli (Ita) |
| Gresini Racing MotoGP | Marc Márquez (Esp) Alex Márquez (Esp) |
| Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP Team | Marco Bezzecchi (Ita) Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ita) |
| LCR Honda | Johan Zarco (Fra) Takaaki Nakagami (Jpn) |
| Red Bull GasGas Tech3 | Pedro Acosta (Esp) Augusto Fernández (Esp) |
| Trackhouse Racing | Raul Fernandez (Esp) Miguel Oliveira (Por) |
An efficient race format
The regulatory changes initiated at the start of 2023 have been renewed, particularly with regard to the running of the race weekend. The action on the track begins on Friday morning with a 45-minute Free Practice session. Then another slot, simply called Practice and this time lasting one hour, allows the 10 fastest riders to move directly into the second qualifying phase (Q2) scheduled for the next day. On Saturday morning, after Free Practice 2 (a 30-minute session in which all riders participate), those who have not qualified directly for Q2 compete for 15 minutes in Q1. The two fastest riders are then drafted to form a contingent of 12 riders for the final qualifying phase (also 15 minutes), which will give the positions on the starting grid. Two races follow, the first called the Sprint Race, lasting around 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon, then the Grand Prix (double the number of Sprint Race laps) on Sunday. The Sprint Race takes place at 3:00 p.m., and the Grand Prix at 2:00 p.m. local time. A schedule which largely appealed to the public in 2023.
"The arrival of the Sprint race spiced up the event," says Piero Taramasso. "Dorna Sports, which organises the championship, wanted a spectacle and we were not disappointed. The short format of these races encourages the riders to give their all, regularly approaching the lap times achieved in qualifying. This makes for a captivating spectacle which generates many emotions among the fans, and also the teams. Despite the Sprint race being important for the championship, it also requires a level of caution from the riders, who must ensure they are ready for the Grand Prix the next day. It's a clever mix of risk-taking and adrenaline, but also wisdom. This leads to great fights on the track, but also good visibility for the discipline. Finally, the Sprint race allows Michelin and the teams to collect valuable information to prepare for Sunday’s Grand Prix in terms of consistency and tyre wear."
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