Pecco Bagnaia Questions MotoGP 2027 Pirelli Test Format

Pecco Bagnaia has questioned the structure of MotoGP’s first 2027 test at Brno, which will introduce both the new 850cc motorcycles and Pirelli tyres. While the Italian accepts Ducati's decision not to include him in the programme, he believes several riders will enter the new era without adequate preparation.

Bagnaia is among the riders who will not participate in Monday’s post-race test. With only a limited number of 850cc prototypes available, manufacturers have largely prioritised riders who are expected to remain with them in 2027. The strategy allows teams to protect technical information while accelerating development with riders who will continue within the project.

The consequence is that many riders changing manufacturers will miss the opportunity to gain an early understanding of the new Pirelli tyres. In Bagnaia’s case, who is expected to join Aprilia next season, his first experience with the tyres may not come until the Valencia post-season test in December.

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“I’ll be at home. Not because I want to be, but it is what it is,” Bagnaia said.

The Italian stressed that he has no issue with Ducati’s decision to keep him away from the 850cc machine. From his perspective, it is logical for a manufacturer to focus on riders who will remain part of its long-term plans. His concern instead centres on the lack of tyre testing opportunities.

“I understand the idea to not try the 850 because it’s normal. I think it’s correct,” he explained.

The tyre switch represents one of the most significant technical changes ahead of the 2027 regulations. Tyres influence braking characteristics, acceleration, corner-entry behaviour, weight transfer and chassis setup. Riders therefore typically require extensive mileage before fully understanding how to extract maximum performance.

Bagnaia believes the limited Valencia test schedule will not provide sufficient time to build that understanding. Riders changing teams will simultaneously need to adapt to a new motorcycle, a new engineering group and an unfamiliar tyre package.

“Arriving on December 1 without testing the Pirellis and then riding the bike for one day at Valencia is not much time,” he said.

According to Bagnaia, such a situation reduces the value of rider feedback. Without adequate running, both manufacturers and Pirelli receive less detailed information regarding tyre behaviour across different temperatures, track conditions and degradation cycles.

“It’s a bit strange because you won’t understand the tyres and you won’t have anything to ask Pirelli. So I think it’s not the best idea,” he added.

Bagnaia suggested an alternative solution that would have allowed riders changing teams to test the current 1000cc bikes on Pirelli tyres. In his view, that approach would have enabled adaptation without exposing sensitive information about future 850cc prototypes.

“It was better to maybe let me ride with the current bike on Pirellis. But it’s impossible,” he said.

His comments follow similar concerns raised by Fabio Di Giannantonio, who argued that limiting participation creates an uneven situation for riders, manufacturers and even Pirelli itself as development feedback comes from only a select group.

Despite his criticism, Bagnaia stopped short of claiming that absent riders will face a major competitive disadvantage. He expects relatively few full-time MotoGP riders to participate in the Brno session because of the restricted number of motorcycles and tyres available to each manufacturer.

Among those confirmed to ride is Bagnaia’s close friend and future Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. Asked whether he planned to contact Bezzecchi after the test, Bagnaia made clear how valuable the information could be.

“A lot! I’ll ask everything!” Bagnaia smiled.

While Ducati has chosen to focus on riders remaining within its programme, Honda has adopted a different strategy by selecting Joan Mir and Luca Marini despite both riders being expected to leave HRC at the end of the season. The contrasting approaches highlight how manufacturers continue to balance development priorities and information security ahead of MotoGP’s 2027 regulatory reset.