Pirelli's Brno test ends with Aprilia on top and minor…

Pirelli's Brno test ends with Aprilia on top and minor crash for Marc Marquez

The first MotoGP test with 850cc bikes and Pirelli tyres for contracted race riders concluded this Monday at the Brno Autodrom, with Aprilia topping the times and Marc Marquez suffering a small crash.

Next season, Italian manufacturer Pirelli will become the sole tyre supplier for MotoGP, ushering in a new era in the world championship in which, in addition to the new compounds, the premier class will feature an 850cc engine instead of the current 1,000cc, as well as a reduction in aerodynamics and complete ban on ride-height systems.

Very little has emerged from the test, held in Brno on Monday after the Czech GP, which meant that the circuit was rubbered in. Although the ambient temperature was slightly lower than on Sunday, the heat was stifling.

The test day was held completely behind closed doors, but Motorsport.com has learned that Marquez suffered a crash without, sustaining any injuries, which was one of the main objectives of all the riders called up.

Although no information of any kind has been provided regarding lap times, it has leaked that the tyre manufacturer finished very satisfied with the outcome of the tests and that the Aprilia riders achieved the best times, a 1m54.0s, nine tenths slower than Fabio Di Giannantonio’s fastest race lap (1m53.122s) on Sunday, and just under three seconds slower than Ai Ogura’s pole position time (1m51.139s).

The main feature of the test is that it was the first one for contracted race riders, even though some manufacturers fielded riders who will compete on different bikes next year.
The tyres developed by Pirelli were tested by Marquez and Fermín Aldeguer (Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez (Aprilia), Luca Marini and Joan Mir (Honda), Toprak Razgatlıoglu (Yamaha) and Pedro Acosta (KTM), together with test riders Daniel Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro (KTM), and Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha).

The test day, which took place mostly under sunshine in the morning and with slightly cloudier skies from mid-afternoon onwards, featured air and track temperatures similar to those recorded during the race weekend.

In addition to the 850cc bikes that will debut next year, some manufacturers prepared current bikes adapted to simulate the 2027 technical configuration.

“I would like to thank the riders and manufacturers for their cooperation and the enthusiasm shown in this important test, on our road towards MotoGP 2027,” explained Giorgio Barbier, Director of Pirelli Motorcycle Racing.

“The running plans were demanding, with many solutions to evaluate, after a race weekend marked by high temperatures and only a few days before the next Grand Prix. Following the private sessions that until now had only been held with test riders, in Brno we were finally able to gather useful information on the 2027 tyres for the future 850cc bikes, also from some contracted riders,” the executive continued.

“All manufacturers completed the agreed programmes, with differentiated running plans for the two bikes, to maximise data collection, and some riders also carried out sprint race simulations and full race-distance runs. The collaboration with riders and manufacturers continues to be very constructive and development is progressing as planned.”

Based on the data collected by Pirelli this Monday, the manufacturer will take a further step in the evolution of its 2027 range.

“The data collected today, together with those from the upcoming private tests, starting with the September test after the Austrian GP and the end-of-season test in Valencia, will be fundamental in defining the final characteristics of the 2027 range,” Barbier said.

Today’s test was the first of three sessions scheduled during the season with race riders. The next ones will take place on the Monday following the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring and on the Tuesday after the final grand prix of the season in Valencia.