MotoGP's impending switch from Michelin to Pirelli as its sole tyre supplier has been recognised as a seismic change by its riders.
Michelin replaced Bridgestone as the spec tyre supplier in 2016 but will now exit the championship after 2026, its withdrawal coinciding with a switch to all-new bike regulations built around smaller-capacity 850cc engines.
Michelin had been interested in continuing, but MotoGP's preference for a single tyre supplier across all classes of grand prix racing contributed to Pirelli - involved already in Moto3 and Moto2 as well as numerous other series - getting the nod instead.
It was described as "incredible" news - in terms of scope rather than as a quality judgment - by both Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini, the latter terming it "the biggest change" of the 2027 reset, so more consequential than the engine change, the aero restriction, the ban on ride height devices etc.
Here are some further takes from all across MotoGP's rider roster.
A true revolution
Pramac Yamaha rider Miguel Oliveira echoed Marini's sentiment - and was perhaps even more emphatic.
"From all the technical changes you can do to a bike, changing the tyre supplier is the biggest by far of them all,” he said.
"And it's actually the only thing that can reset a little bit the balance we have right now, the dominance, probably we'll get closer together, some changes, whatever. But I think it's the only thing that can actually 'zero' everyone.”
Oliveira, however, didn't go as far as to suggest it is definitively better news for MotoGP's lagging Japanese manufacturers than for the dominant Ducati team - citing Ducati's long-time presence in World Superbikes. Though the Pirelli rubber there will be very different in spec to what MotoGP ends up racing on, a base familiarity with Pirelli's 'philosophy' could still be useful.
Michelin was doing well enough
By and large riders had only positive things to say about Michelin's effort as MotoGP's tyre supplier. Though there has been the prevalent perception of occasional lapses in singular tyre quality - a perception continuously disputed by Michelin - and the current front tyre is struggling to support the loads produced by the bike, the level of performance generated by the rear tyre in particular is universally acclaimed.
"I don't know, sincerely, the reason of this change," said Marini.
"Maybe you [media] can investigate better than me. It would be interesting also to understand why this happened, because it also looks like with Michelin everything was OK, I think!
"But I also like this change.”
And VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio said he had grown "a bit attached" to the people working on Michelin's MotoGP project and will be sad to see him go.
...but Moto2/Moto3 aren't regretting it
There wasn't any real doubt expressed about Pirelli's credentials, though, and KTM rider Pedro Acosta pointed to the fact it's been a big success in Moto3 and Moto2 after taking over from Dunlop last year.
"I was racing in Moto3 and Moto2 with the Dunlops, and then I see what is going on with Pirelli in Moto3 and Moto2 - and it looks like the tyre works better! At the end you see not many crashes when it's cold, not many stupid crashes that, for example, in Moto2 was quite easy - like Turn 7 in the morning in Jerez, was quite easy there.
"Looks like this doesn't happen anymore, looks like they are much faster - much-much faster, you see the laptimes [from testing] in Jerez and it was ridiculous.
"It's true that it's not going to be easy for them [PIrelli] to understand what is going on in MotoGP. They have a lot of experience in Superbikes and this helps in the smaller classes like Moto2 and Moto3, but MotoGP is completely another sport for this."
Marquez's warning from the past
Only three riders on the current MotoGP grid were already in the championship when it last had a tyre supplier change - these being Marc Marquez, Maverick Vinales and Jack Miller.
Vinales simply described himself as "a little bit shocked" given how much testing of various new tyres for the future Michelin had been carrying out in recent years, while Miller said he was "more shocked at Pirelli biting off that much".
"It’s a lot of racing globally. But I’m sure they’re able to do it."
Marquez, however, cautioned that in his experience a change in tyre supplier is never fun for the rider.
"I don't like to change. Not from Michelin to Pirelli - I'm sure Pirellis will be good tyres. But always when you change it's a kind of adaptation, from the manufacturer to the tyres, the riding style to the tyres, and you remember when Michelin arrived here, as [also happened when] Bridgestone [came] - strange crashes, that riders we didn't understand why we crashed...
"As a rider, personal opinion, I don't like it, but it's the decision of the championship, but we need to say thank you to Michelin because they developed in a very good way the tyres and they're performing right now in a very good way."
Right timing or too much change?
Pecco Bagnaia and Brad Binder were among those emphasising how important it will be for Pirelli to already have a product ready for 2026 so that manufacturers can use it to track-test their 2027 prototypes.
And Johann Zarco went as far as to say that he would've preferred the change was only to rubber or only to the regulations.
“I guess we’ll have a different feeling for sure but it won’t be all positive," said Zarco of the Pirelli switch.
"Riders, they are complaining a lot, but they don’t realise what the good things are on one tyre versus another one. We will face different problems."
Zarco, however, also concurred with Acosta's point.
"Pirelli, what they are doing in Moto2 is anyway a super good feedback for them to prepare their step to MotoGP. I am quite impressed by the consistency they’ve found in the last year.”
