A dramatic sprint race at Motegi has forced Michelin to pull its softest rear tyre compound from the Japanese Grand Prix allocation following alarming blistering issues caused by the circuit's newly resurfaced asphalt.
The tyre degradation caught out several front-runners during Saturday's half-distance dash. Pecco Bagnaia was forced into a late retirement with just one lap remaining, while Jorge Martin narrowly clung to a podium finish despite his machine sustaining aerodynamic damage from a disintegrating rear tyre.
Michelin's Piero Taramasso revealed that the combination of high grip and low wear from the new surface created excessive internal temperatures. Although teams were warned ahead of the weekend, the soft compound was pushed beyond its limits during 12 laps of flat-out racing.
Some paddock outfits pushed for Michelin's special heat-resistant construction tyre to be made mandatory for Sunday, but the request was denied. Manufacturers like KTM and Honda managed their tyre energy efficiently, proving that a blanket rule was unnecessary.
With the soft option officially off the table, riders and engineers must now focus entirely on the medium and hard compounds for the main grand prix.
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