The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli once again provided the perfect stage for the Michelin Power Slick tyres at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, held from September 11 to 13 on Italy’s Adriatic coast.
Well known to Michelin and its partners, the 4.226 km circuit offered a variety of conditions throughout the weekend. Rain ahead of both Friday and Saturday repeatedly washed the track clean, requiring the riders to rebuild their confidence and find their references on a surface with little rubber laid down. Once conditions stabilised, the circuit’s naturally good grip level and track temperatures reaching 40 to 42°C allowed the Michelin tyres to demonstrate their full potential.
The Medium front quickly adopted by the entire field
From Friday morning, on a still “green” track following heavy rain the previous day and with a track temperature of just 27 to 28°C, the riders gradually built up their confidence and pace.
Conditions changed significantly for the afternoon Practice session, when the track temperature approached 40°C. The Michelin Power Slick Medium front quickly established itself as the benchmark solution, thanks to the stability and braking support it provided, as well as the confidence it gave the riders.
At the rear, both the Soft and Medium delivered a high level of performance and excellent consistency, with no significant degradation. The Soft offered additional grip, although it made the bike slightly more lively and placed greater demands on the front tyre. The Medium, meanwhile, stood out for its stability and ease of use, with no issues in terms of warm-up.
The lap times recorded on this opening day confirmed the performance level of Michelin’s allocation, with the fastest riders already lapping very close to the circuit’s all-time record.
Two competitive rear solutions for a record-breaking Tissot Sprint
Following further rain overnight from Friday to Saturday, a few damp patches remained at the start of the second day. However, they did not prevent the riders from quickly increasing their pace.
During Qualifying, Marco Bezzecchi set a new all-time record around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli with a lap of 1’29.98, using a Michelin Power Slick Medium front and Soft rear.
With the track temperature reaching 42°C for the Tissot Sprint, the Medium front was the unanimous choice across the grid. At the rear, however, strategies were divided: 14 riders opted for the Soft and seven for the Medium. Both solutions delivered very similar levels of performance and, in both cases, degradation was particularly low.
The lap times further underlined this level of performance. The Tissot Sprint was completed 4.5 seconds faster than in 2025. Race winner Marc Marquez also posted a lap of 1’30.734, 0.143 seconds faster than the official race lap record set by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) during the 2024 Grand Prix (1’30.877), which nevertheless remains the official benchmark to beat.
A unanimous choice for the Grand Prix
On Sunday, the riders enjoyed ideal conditions under bright sunshine, with an air temperature of 28°C and a track temperature of 42°C. The lessons learned since Friday led the entire field to make exactly the same choice: Michelin Power Slick Medium front and Medium rear.
Starting from pole position, Marco Bezzecchi led the opening laps ahead of Marc Marquez, before a crash brought his race to a premature end. Marc Marquez then took the lead ahead of Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), who managed to pass him on Lap 7. Their battle continued until Lap 12, when Marc Marquez regained the lead.
Behind him, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Jorge Martin battled for the remaining podium positions, before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) joined the fight at the front.
The leading positions then stabilised, with Marc Marquez ahead of Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta. Having already won the Tissot Sprint the previous day, Marc Marquez went on to claim victory in the 2026 Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, completing a perfect weekend at Misano and taking the lead in the Riders’ World Championship.
Marc Marquez also set a new record over the full Grand Prix distance, completing the 27 laps of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in 41’13.013, 1.6 seconds faster than the previous benchmark set by Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), winner of the 2024 edition.
Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Competition Manager:
“We leave Misano with a very positive assessment of the weekend. This is a circuit we know particularly well, and we had chosen to simplify our allocation compared with 2025, with only two front specifications. The results have fully validated that decision.
From Friday onwards, the Medium front established itself as the benchmark for every rider and every bike. It provided the stability and support required on a circuit that places significant demands on the front tyre, particularly under braking and through the long, fast corners.
At the rear, the weekend was also very interesting. During the Tissot Sprint, we saw significant use of both the Soft and Medium, with 14 riders choosing the Soft and seven the Medium. Both solutions performed extremely well, with different characteristics but very similar levels of grip and, above all, extremely low degradation.
On Sunday, with the track temperature at 42°C, every rider ultimately chose the Medium at both the front and rear. It was the most balanced solution for the 27 laps of the Grand Prix and performed exactly as we expected.”
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