French tire manufacturer Michelin has openly admitted that the remaining medium tire allocation for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi still carries a notable element of risk. The definitive stance follows the withdrawal of the soft-option compound after several riders suffered alarming tread chunking caused by severe blistering during the Sprint race.
Michelin two-wheeled motorsport manager Piero Taramasso noted that while the medium compound is sturdier than the scrapped soft option, it still demands meticulous thermal management out on the track. Jack Miller notably encountered blistering on his medium rubber during the Sprint, whereas Marco Bezzecchi managed to run a completely clean race on the exact same specification.
Taramasso stressed that riders must actively limit rear-wheel spin and keep thermal energy to a minimum to survive the grand prix distance. Consequently, Michelin strongly advises teams to opt for the hard-compound option featuring a specialized heat-dissipating construction for Sunday's 24-lap showdown.

The tyre allocation had already sparked pre-weekend skepticism from riders, including early remarks from Miller and Luca Marini. Interestingly, Marini joked that the lack of rear grip on his machine inadvertently shielded him from experiencing any tire degradation woes whatsoever during the shorter Saturday contest.



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