The MotoGP Sprint race at Mobility Resort Motegi turned into a major tire crisis after several riders suffered severe rear rubber degradation. The situation faced by Francesco Bagnaia forced Michelin to take emergency action ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix.
The primary issue manifested as severe chunking, tearing large pieces of tread from the rear tire and forcing the Ducati rider to pit early. Similar wear issues were reported by championship contender Jorge Martin, while Jack Miller suffered heavy blistering on the medium compound.
Michelin subsequently withdrew the soft compound from the race allocation and recommended the hard compound featuring a reinforced carcass. However, this introduces a fresh technical hurdle since no competitor has tested this specific tire specification on Motegi's newly laid asphalt.
Michelin Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager Piero Taramasso pointed to a combination of high circuit aggressiveness, lack of pre-event testing on the new surface, and an exceptionally blistering pace—nine seconds faster than the previous year—as the root cause of the thermal overload.
To address the unprecedented lack of data, officials scheduled an extra warm-up session on Sunday morning. This crucial track time allows teams to evaluate the untested hard rubber before the Grand Prix gets underway.
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