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. In continuous sunshine and particularly hot conditions, the MICHELIN Power tyres enabled the riders to make full use of the potential offered by the Czech circuit and its track surface, which was renewed in 2025.
Track temperatures were one of the main challenges of the weekend, regularly exceeding 50°C on all three days.
Despite these high temperatures, 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 streamlined allocation selected for the 2026 event, comprising Soft and Medium compounds for both the front and rear wheels.
An allocation perfectly suited to the high temperatures
All the available specifications were evaluated from the opening day. At the front, the Medium quickly emerged as the benchmark solution thanks to its braking stability, precision and ability to perform consistently as temperatures increased.
At the rear, the Soft and Medium compounds proved very closely matched in terms of outright performance. The Soft provided additional grip over the opening laps, while the Medium offered greater stability and consistency over longer runs. Its combination with the Medium front proved particularly well balanced.
During the Tissot Sprint, the riders used both rear specifications. The Soft demonstrated its potential in the hands of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Márquez, while the Medium performed particularly strongly with Ai Ogura and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
The pace of the Sprint was significantly faster than that recorded one year earlier. Lap times were, on average, one second quicker, representing an improvement of approximately 10 seconds over the full 10-lap distance.
A new all-time lap record as early as Friday
The performance of the MICHELIN Power Slick tyres was also reflected in a succession of new records.
On Friday afternoon, Ai Ogura recorded a lap time of 1m51.735s aboard his Trackhouse MotoGP Team Aprilia. This improved the previous benchmark of 1m52.303s, set by Francesco Bagnaia during Qualifying for the 2025 Grand Prix, by more than half a second. During the same session, seven riders lapped faster than the previous all-time record.
Ai Ogura raised the bar again during Saturday’s Qualifying session. The Japanese rider secured pole position and established a new all-time lap record at the Automotodrom Brno with a time of 1m51.139s. All 12 riders who took part in Q2 improved on the 2025 benchmark.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) also established a new top-speed record at the Czech circuit, reaching 328.2km/h. This was 3km/h faster than the previous benchmark, which he had also set during the 2025 event.
Medium rear tyre the preferred choice for the 21-lap Grand Prix
For Sunday’s Grand Prix, every rider selected the Medium MICHELIN Power Slick at the front. The Medium was also chosen by the entire field at the rear, with the exception of Joan Mir, who opted for the Soft despite the high track temperature and the 21-lap race distance.
The race was both fast and spectacular, with Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Márquez and Ai Ogura forming the leading trio.
Marc Márquez ultimately took victory ahead of Ai Ogura and Francesco Bagnaia, completing the 21 laps of the 2026 Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia in 39m51.297s, 13 seconds faster than the winner of the 2025 event. For the first time in the history of MotoGP™ at Brno, the full Grand Prix distance was therefore completed in under 40 minutes.
Fabio Di Giannantonio also delivered a noteworthy performance, producing a succession of fast laps towards the end of the race. On the 21st and final lap, he set a new race lap record of 1m53.122s, improving the previous benchmark, established by Marc Márquez in 2025, by 0.569 seconds.
“This was a particularly positive weekend for Michelin, as we were able to confirm the relevance of all the decisions we made based on the data collected when we returned to Brno in 2025,” said Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport’s Two-Wheel Competition Manager. “This year, we had a more streamlined allocation, with only the Soft and Medium compounds available at both the front and rear, and these four solutions perfectly covered the needs of our partners.
“The conditions were nevertheless extremely demanding. We ran for three days in intense sunshine, with track temperatures regularly exceeding 50°C and even approaching 60°C on Saturday afternoon. In these conditions, the tyres need to provide a great deal of grip, while also controlling their temperature and maintaining consistent performance over time.
“The lap-time results recorded over the weekend were remarkable: Ai Ogura broke the all-time lap record twice, every rider in Q2 lapped faster than the previous benchmark, Fabio Di Giannantonio improved the race lap record on the final lap, and Marc Márquez completed the full race distance in under 40 minutes. The Grand Prix was 13 seconds faster than last year, despite the particularly high temperatures. We also recorded a new top-speed record, with Marco Bezzecchi reaching 328.2km/h. This demonstrates the outright performance of the MICHELIN Power Slick tyres, as well as their consistency and their ability to give riders confidence right through to the final kilometres.”
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 TT Circuit Assen.
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