Pirelli Takes On Qatar – Returning to the Scene of Their Debut
Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli returns to Moto2 and Moto3 racing at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. Roughly one year ago, Pirelli made its Grand Prix debut in both categories at this very track. For this round, the company will supply the same tire compounds as last year, with only one change: in the Moto3 class, a new development rear tire, the C1096 hard compound, has been added.
As a result of this change, Moto3 riders will have three rear tire options for the weekend. Accordingly, the maximum number of rear tires allowed for use increases by one, from 9 to 10, in line with regulations. The front tire allocation remains unchanged at 8 tires.
During the 2024 race held at Lusail, the majority of riders opted for medium compounds on both the front and rear. In Moto2, the SC1 was the most commonly selected tire, though all podium finishers ran the SC0 on the rear. In Moto3, the SC2 served as the standard compound.
The Lusail Circuit places moderate to high stress on tires, especially in terms of wear, making it more demanding than many other tracks. On Fridays, sand accumulation from desert winds during the first session can further accelerate tire degradation. However, as more laps are completed, the track surface becomes increasingly “rubbered in,” improving grip and leading to more consistent conditions. Temperature fluctuations are another critical factor. With considerable differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures, tire choice and race strategy are likely to be heavily influenced by these changes across sessions.
Giorgio Barbier, Director of Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Division:
“Last year’s race in Qatar was our very first Grand Prix in Moto2 and Moto3. As it was also the opening round of the season, there were no benchmarks for us, the riders, or the teams to rely on. The bikes were still set up based on specifications for the previous tire supplier.”
“But this year is different. We’ve already completed three races, and now both we and the teams and riders have accumulated valuable knowledge and real-world experience with Pirelli tires. Moreover, compared to 2024, the bikes and frame configurations have evolved to better suit our tires.”
“We believe the tire choices we made last year were the right ones, so we’re continuing with the same lineup for this year. As such, the same tires will be provided across both categories. The only difference is in Moto2, where the front wheel rim size will change from 3.75 inches to 3.5 inches.”
“This consistency allows us to compare running data without any changes in allocation and clearly measure how much progress has been made since last season. We believe that even on a track as tough on tires as Lusail, we can showcase the true potential of our products. With the right bike setup, even softer compounds can be used to their fullest performance.”
(Photo courtesy of Pirelli)