MotoGP Announces Five-Year Deal with New Tyre Supplier
With the technical regulations being overhauled for the 2027 MotoGP season, the premier class will also switch its tyre supplier.
Honda will take its first concrete step toward MotoGP’s 2027 rule changes this week, putting an early 850cc prototype on track during a private test at Sepang.
The Japanese manufacturer follows KTM, which recently became the first brand to run a bike built around the next-generation regulations.
The two-day test, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Malaysia, will be Honda’s final on-track activity of 2025.
It is also the first public sign of a long-term project that will eventually lead to the RC214V, the bike Honda plans to race under the new rules.
Takaaki Nakagami will carry out the initial running on the early prototype. The machine he will ride is understood to be a modified 2026 platform with a trimmed-back aero package and no ride height devices installed, adapted to house the new 850cc engine.
The 2027 season will usher in one of the biggest resets the premier class has seen in years.
Engine capacity will drop from 1000cc to 850cc, aerodynamic freedom will be reduced, and electronic ride-height devices will disappear.
Just as significant is the tyre change, with Pirelli set to replace Michelin as MotoGP’s sole supplier.
The Italian tyre company has actively encouraged manufacturers to begin early testing, supplying tyres and trackside support to those willing to commit.
For now, KTM and Honda are the only two brands to do so, though others are expected to follow from early next year.
Pirelli plans to increase its MotoGP presence during 2026, with dedicated tests that will allow full-time riders (those who are eligible under MotoGP’s concession system) to sample 2027-spec bikes.
Honda’s early work on the 2027 bike comes while the factory is still heavily invested in its 2026 development programme.
Aleix Espargaro, now a key figure in Honda’s test structure, continues to lead work on next season’s machine.
In the meantime, Nakagami has been tasked with laying the foundation blocks of the 2027 project, focusing on engine and tyre feedback.
That division of labour will not be permanent, however. Once the new bike reaches a more advanced stage, Espargaro is expected to take over primary development duties, allowing Honda to push the project forward through 2026.
