This year, the sole tire supplier to the Moto3 (and Moto2) World Championship changed, with Dunlop exiting the scene. In its place came Pirelli, which had previously supplied the World Superbike Championship.
Being different manufacturers, the tires necessarily have disparate characteristics – which forces the riders to manage the races differently.
Something that also seems evident is that Pirelli tires allow for better performance. Both in Qatar and in Portugal, the absolute lap records and race records of the respective circuits were broken.
In Portimão, the new best lap in the race now belongs to José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who spoke to journalist Manuel Pecino after the race. Regarding the topic of tires, the Spaniard commented:
– It has changed quite a bit, Dunlop tires didn’t have as much grip, but at the end of the race it’s a bit more difficult to manage. We did well in Portugal and will continue to work.
