Morbidelli: Red flags? MotoGP tech ‘outweighs’ the front tyre

Morbidelli received a long lap penalty for causing the opening lap Sprint race stoppage, when he tagged Alex Marquez on the exit of the Turn 2, also bringing down title leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Team-mate Fabio Quartararo received the same controversial penalty the following day when he fell after becoming sandwiched between Bezzecchi and Miguel Oliveira on entry to the same hairpin. Oliveira was left with a dislocated left shoulder.

“We need to start thinking deeply about some solutions. Deeply, deeply, deeply. Because another red flag. Another scary moment. Another dangerous moment,” Morbidelli said on Sunday.

The Monster Yamaha rider, who went on to finish eleventh in the restart, explained why riders are taking so many risks on the opening laps of even the long Sunday race:

“The problem is that if you gain one position you're most likely going to keep it, because with this tyre situation, every position [gained] is big-time important. And everybody tries to risk and gamble in the beginning to have this big reward.

“If you knew that you could give your potential in the race [by overtaking], you would be much more cautious in the first laps.

“But everybody starts with the aim of gaining as many positions as they can, because most likely they are going to keep them, because everybody that is behind is going to get tangled from [front tyre] pressure, from the temperature etc.

“Actually, [serving] the long lap penalty was like a relief. Because you can get free air and you can again pick up the performance. Not to say that I want them! But when you get some space, the performance comes up.

“So yes, this dangerous situation [opening lap contact], I think has a lot to do with the front tyre.”

The Italian indicated that technical developments such as aerodynamics and ride-height devices mean the current generation of front tyres are being stressed much more than in the past, causing them to be overwhelmed in hot conditions.

“The technology needs to be at the same level in all areas. Now it looks like the bike technology outweighs the tyre technology,” Morbidelli said.

“I mean the bikes are fantastic. The tyres are also fantastic because when the condition is cold the performance of the tyre is, great I would say. They are unbelievable.

“But they have this big weak point that in hot conditions the performance drops and the race becomes - everything goes according to the front temperature and the front pressure.

“They need to push a lot and work to solve this problem… [Either] raise the level of the technology of the tyre, or lower the level of the bikes.”

Morbidelli also conceded that the riders have some responsibility for avoiding contact.

“The riders are the ones that are doing incidents so yeah, for sure!” he said.

Michelin: Those who think you can’t overtake are wrong

Responding to Morbidelli’s comments, Michelin’s Piero Taramasso told GPOne.com:

“Today’s there’s a package – aerodynamics, ride height systems and bigger brakes so the front tyres are under more and more stress. Furthermore, in Jerez, the track temperatures reached 50 degrees.”

But Taramasso did not agree that the front tyre was struggling to cope with such conditions, although a new design is already under development.

“Franco is probably more sensitive than the average rider [to it] because, analysing his data, he didn’t have any [temperature or pressure] problems, just like in the Austin Sprint race where he also complained.

“Certainly in MotoGP, you have to start from the front, it’s no secret, at Jerez there were 20 riders within one second. When you are in a group, logically you also have to be more aggressive, on the brakes and in the passes, I think this is what he means.

“Jerez was extremely hot but Pecco and the KTMs were very fast, the Aprilias handled the pressure well. There was entertainment and overtaking. The images prove that those who think you can’t overtake because the front tyre is overheating are wrong.

“I would like to spend more time praising these riders and bikes rather than criticising the tyres, the aerodynamics or the Stewards. Logically everyone is working on the weak points, us on the front tyre.”

Indeed, Taramasso revealed that ex-World Superbike champion, MotoGP rider and Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli will help with additional development of the new front tyre using a superbike modified with MotoGP suspension and carbon brakes.

That will be in addition to the official tests with full-time MotoGP riders, but the new front is still not set to make its race debut until the start of 2025.

Regulations concerning ride height devices and wings are expected to remain unchanged until the next contract cycle between the manufacturers and Dorna begins in 2027.