Tire pressures have been a talking point in MotoGP for a few seasons now. Admittedly, it’s not as bad as previous seasons since the rules have been amended. However, for the first time in Assen, tire pressures played a significant role in the race midway through, with Marc Marquez admitting he let Fabio Di Giannantonio pass due to his dash warning. This resulted in Maverick sweeping through and overtaking Marquez, which seemed to catch him a bit by surprise.

 

Up until this weekend, tire pressure penalties have always been a post-race issue, with multiple riders being awarded penalties after the checkered flag, even when they had fought for poles or podiums. This is always a bit disappointing and must hurt the riders, but at least it didn’t affect the race itself. We always saw riders give 100%, no matter what pressure their tires were at, and got 100% of the entertainment. This weekend in the Netherlands was hopefully a one-off, and hopefully due to the fact that Marquez is still adapting to the Ducati. Personally, I hope this does not become a regular occurrence within the races themselves. I know the riders have a tire pressure indicator on the dash of the bike, which I can imagine increases the likelihood of this situation. I also think, even though it’s in the rules, a 16-second penalty is a bit harsh. I would prefer a staged approach, based on the percentage of time the rider has gone below 60% or based on the actual pressure of the tire.

 

What do tire pressures mean for MotoGP bikes?

The lower the tire pressure, the greater the grip and speed. Conversely, increasing the pressure has the opposite effect. A well-performing front tire is crucial for both corner entry and exit speeds, making good front tire grip and longevity essential for a rider’s success. So, why not just lower the pressure to enhance grip? Lowering the pressure too much can weaken the tire’s sidewall, significantly increasing the risk of a catastrophic blowout with potentially severe consequences.

 

What are the rules?

The rules state that “riders have to comply with the minimum pressures for a minimum of 60% of the laps in any race distance over 15 laps. In the Sprint, it’s 30%.” This is an increase from 50% last season, and the minimum tire pressure has also been lowered from 1.88 bar to 1.8 bar.

 

Michelin says that this is a better compromise for varied race circumstances, which has already been shown to be true this year. However, I don’t believe it is perfect. Assen is a very fast track, but the weather can be cooler than at many other tracks. This poses the question: should minimum tire pressures have more variables associated with them, rather than just track by track, to make sure they don’t ruin the battles on the track?

 

We will see over the rest of this season if tire pressures start to have a bigger impact on the race itself. Roll on Sachsenring!