WorldSBK’s newest rider Miguel Oliveira has explained the difference in feel between Pirelli tyres and the Michelin tyres he previously used in MotoGP.
Oliveira has taken part in four rounds with BMW, and although injuries sustained during the Balaton Park Superpole race will rule him out of the Most round, the 31-year-old has still had a quarter of the season adapting to the new different tyre compound.
The BMW rider explained that Pirelli tyres are easier and more predictable to use because they work well across a wider range of temperatures.
“The biggest thing with the Pirellis is that you have a working window of 40 degrees with the front tyre,” shared Oliveira to the media, including Motorsport Week.
“So even if you ride the track on 10 degrees or 40, you know the front tyre will warm up, and will stay there.”
Oliveira added that the rear Pirelli tyre feels softer and more supported by air pressure rather than a stiff carcass.
“The rear, it changes in a normal way, but the general characteristic is that you feel you have the tyre supported just by the air, and not by a stiff carcass.
“It feels like you have a big amount of rubber, and then the air, the air pressure inside the tyre is just holding the thing in position.”
By comparison, he believes Michelin tyres are more demanding because they react more sharply to track conditions and braking loads.
“Whereas with the Michelin, you have a stiff carcass, you have the rubber on top, that is kind of moving, and makes everything a little bit more critical.
“You kind of switch tyres based on track temperature or air temperature, on how much the demand is for the front brake pressure on tracks.”
Because of those characteristics, Oliveira feels riders coming from WorldSBK are better prepared to adapt when stepping up to MotoGP.
“For me, it’s easier to be a Superbike rider, and then move up. I think you’re more prepared.”
In 2027, MotoGP and WorldSBK will swap tyre suppliers, with Pirelli set to supply the premier class and its support categories, while WorldSBK will move to Michelin compounds.
READ MORE – Miguel Oliveira reveals what’s ‘more difficult’ in MotoGP to WorldSBK transition
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