Pirelli will start its first MotoGP tyre test at Misano on Tuesday, 16 September. This is the beginning of a long preparation process before the company becomes the official tyre supplier in 2027.

Since 2016, Michelin has been the only tyre supplier for MotoGP. Before that, Bridgestone supplied tyres from 2009 to 2015. In 2027, Michelin will give up this role and Pirelli will take over. Pirelli is an Italian company based in Milan. It already makes racing tyres for Moto2, Moto3, the World Superbike Championship, and Formula 1. From 2027, Pirelli will supply tyres for all three classes of motorcycle racing, which means Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP. This will be a very big task for the company.

To prepare, Pirelli has been developing a first set of MotoGP tyres since March. At first, a test was planned at Aragon in June, but this did not happen. Instead, the first test will now take place at Misano, right after the official MotoGP Monday test.

Five riders will take part in Pirelli’s debut test. Each rider will represent a different manufacturer. Michele Pirro will ride for Ducati. Lorenzo Savadori will represent Aprilia. Dani Pedrosa will ride for KTM. Takaaki Nakagami will test for Honda. Augusto Fernandez will continue to test for Yamaha. These riders are all experienced test riders who can give very detailed feedback about the tyres.

During the test, Pirelli’s engineers will provide five to six different tyre compounds. The riders will test them to see how they perform. The tyres will be checked for durability, how long they last on track, and how well they perform under extreme conditions like heavy braking, fast corners, and acceleration.

The bikes used in the test will be current MotoGP prototypes, but with changes to match the new rules that will come in 2027. From that year, engine size will drop from 1000cc to 850cc. Aerodynamics will be reduced, meaning bikes will have smaller or simpler wings. Ride-height devices, which lower the bike for faster acceleration, will be banned. To prepare for this, the bikes in the Misano test will run with reduced power and without height-adjustment devices.

The test at Misano is very important, but it will not give Pirelli the full picture. The track has been used heavily during the race weekend, so the surface will have very high grip. This can make tyres look better than they really are. To get more reliable information, Pirelli will need to test at different circuits and in different conditions.

That is why another test is already planned for after the Valencia Grand Prix in November. On Wednesday, 19 November, Pirelli will hold a second test to try more advanced versions of its tyres. This will be another step towards creating tyres that can handle the demands of MotoGP racing in 2027.

Pirelli’s entry into MotoGP marks a new chapter for the sport. For riders, teams, and fans, the tyres will play a big role in shaping how racing feels in the future. Developing the right balance of performance, safety, and durability will be a long process, but the first step begins this week at Misano.