Motegi’s new asphalt forces Michelin to start almost from scratch

Motegi has been completely resurfaced ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. For Michelin, that makes much of the data gathered in previous years far less useful on a circuit already especially demanding under braking and acceleration.

Michelin will unusually bring three front choices and three rear choices, compared with two options in the standard allocation. At the rear, all compounds have been modified and made harder than in 2025 to anticipate more heat and wear on the new surface.

The hardest rear option even uses the reinforced casing seen in Austria, although Michelin views it mainly as a backup if track temperature rises above roughly 40°C. Early forecasts are cooler, which could leave that tyre unused.