Pirelli has revealed the negotiations that have allowed the manufacturer to be the sole tyre supplier of WorldSBK and of MotoGP from 2027.
With the new technical regulations in 2027, Pirelli will become the sole supplier of MotoGP as well as Moto2 and Moto3.
Amidst the changes, the Italian manufacturer has chosen to address some fan questions – including whether Pirelli pays to be the sole tyre supplier.
Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli’s motorcycle racing director, admitted there are fees that the manufacturer will pay series promoters, but that it may also ask for compensation over the cost of tyres.
“In every motorcycle competition or Formula 1, in every one of them, the tyre manufacturer pays the promoter,” Barbier, told Motorsport.com.
“I understand the manufacturer saying: I am the sole supplier to MotoGP and I pay a fee. Six million, for example. But then I add: all the tyres cost me 36 million, and you pay those 36 million.”
How much the tyres cost and the fees paid to the organisers are variable between series, Barbier revealed, but admitted that is also part of the negotiation process.
“One thing is the cost of the tyres, but there is also the service, the personnel, the whole organisation. They are significant costs.
“The fee is one thing, then there are all the ancillary costs, which are also significant. How you have to organise yourself at the factory, the processes, and so on.
“Then you can say to the promoter: Will you help me cover part of these costs? Or: This is the amount of the costs and this is the fee. They are negotiations.”
Do MotoGP and WorldSBK teams pay for their own tyres?
After the negotiations with series organisers, the next step is about the teams – do they pay for the tyres?
“In Superbike, they do,” explained Barbier, after being asked whether MotoGP teams also pay for the tyres.
“In MotoGP, at this moment, it is not envisaged. That happens in Moto3 and Moto2, but in MotoGP, it is not envisaged.”
Barbier also hinted at the cost of the tyres used in MotoGP, although refused to share the exact figure.
“We cannot sell MotoGP tyres, but we can guarantee our customers that Pirelli’s sport tyres are made by the same engineers and technicians, at the same plant in Breuberg, where we produce the racing compounds, and with the same sporting spirit that characterises our brand,” Barbier explained.
“Obviously, I cannot tell you the exact price, but I can give you a clue: How much does the tyre on your bike cost?” the executive asked.
For context, a Diablo Superbike rear tyre costs around 300 euros and is made in the same factory as the premier class tyre compounds.
“We make the MotoGP prototypes on the same machines and in the same factory where we make that [€300] tyre.
“I only change the materials. I may change something in the process, but my cost will never be hugely different.”
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