Riders embrace the updated minimum michelin front tire pressure of 1.8 bar for the 2024 MotoGP season.
“The new lower Michelin front tire pressure, reducing by just 0.08 bar or 1.16 psi, has received a ‘warm’ reception from MotoGP riders.
Last season, riders were mandated to keep their front tire pressure above 1.88 bar for at least 50% of the Grand Prix laps. However, for the 2024 season, this limit has been lowered to 1.80 bar for over 60% of the laps, with sprints remaining at 30%.
The aim of this adjustment is to mitigate grip loss experienced when the front tire temperature increases while riding behind other bikes. Reports indicate that pressures exceeding 2.1 bar were observed during the previous season.
Marc Marquez expressed his approval of the pressure reduction, stating, ‘For me, yes [it’s enough]. It’s a small step, but a big step.’
He continued, ‘It’s super difficult to control the pressure even if you are alone or behind somebody. But in the end, if it’s a safety issue, we need to adapt.’
Marquez highlighted the performance effects of both high and low pressures, emphasizing the need to find the right balance. ‘Of course, if it’s going super high pressure [you get a] lack of performance, but if you are going low, I feel lack of performance too. So in the end you need to work in the correct tire pressure [range].’
Echoing Marquez’s sentiments, fellow former world champion Fabio Quartararo added, ‘I think it’s quite OK. I think like Marc said, when you go too high you miss performance and also on the low side.'”
” ‘Of course, there are some races like Thailand, basically places where it’s really hot, when you play a lot with this front tire [pressure] and I think 1.8 is quite good,’ ” said Aleix Espargaro.
Espargaro, who has been vocal about his criticism of the penalties imposed under the new real-time tire pressure monitoring system introduced midway through last season, added, “1.8 bar is not going to change the performance, but in terms of our life, it’s going to be a lot easier,” said the Aprilia rider.
Last season, a warning was issued for a first offense, followed by escalating time penalties. However, for 2024, no revised penalty system has been announced. This means that the standard penalty for a technical infringement – disqualification – could potentially be enforced.
An update from MotoGP.com on Thursday evening revealed: “The FIM MotoGP Stewards have also announced new, set [tyre pressure] penalties for 2024. For infringements in the Sprint, it’s an eight-second time penalty, and for the Grand Prix race, it’s 16 seconds.”
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