MotoGP tyre supplier Michelin had just seven days to manufacture and dispatch the tyres required for this weekend’s new season finale in Barcelona.

The challenges arising from changing the venue for the title decider have been enormous for all parties involved. One of the key players who had to act quickly after the Valencia GP was cancelled was Michelin.

MotoGP bosses were in continuous dialogue with Michelin during the Malaysian Grand Prix as it finally decided on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the track that will replace Circuit Ricardo Tormo as the final round on 15-17 November following the devastating storms that hit Valencia two weeks ago.

There were several reasons why Barcelona was chosen over other contenders, with logistics being one of the deciding factors. The other options contemplated at that time would have likely required running the finale a week later than scheduled. A second round in Malaysia was also considered but eventually ruled out due to, among other reasons, a lack of availability of essential elements such as tyres and fuel.

The decision to race in Barcelona was taken on the same Sunday at Sepang, and it was the following Monday that Michelin began to manufacture the specific compounds for a race that would be held in very different conditions to the Catalan Grand Prix in May at the same circuit.

The key element will be the temperature in Barcelona, which is much lower in November compared to summers.Weather forecasts indicate a maximum temperature of 16 degree Celsius on both Saturday and Sunday, and it’s possible that the number could drop further if it rains over the weekend.

Piero Taramasso, Michelin

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“The challenge is very important, especially because of the little margin of reaction we had. We made it clear that, to do a race in Europe, we needed seven days to be able to manufacture the compounds. And that’s what we did,” Piero Taramasso, head of Michelin’s racing division, told Motorsport.com.

“On Monday after the Sepang race we started manufacturing them in France and [this] Wednesday they arrived at Montmelo.

“We have a very reactive work system, and the fact that the race is held on a European track has allowed us to gain about three days.”

Michelin has brought a total of seven specification of tyres for Barcelona, four front and three rear, taking both the Spanish circuit and Phillip Island as reference. Under normal conditions, the total number of tyres required would be about 1,000. But by adding one more spec of compound, the figure has risen to 1,400 units.

“At Montmelo we have a track with asphalt that is very old, and, consequently, little grip,” Taramasso added. “To that we have to add the temperature [to the mix], [which is] much lower than when we raced there six months ago.”

Marc Marquez is set to ride Ducati’s current-spec GP24 as well as a GP25 prototype in next week’s Barcelona MotoGP test, according to the marque’s test rider Michele Pirro.

Marquez will get his first opportunity to work with the factory Ducati team in the official pre-season test on 19 November, having signed a two-year deal to partner Francesco Bagnaia at the squad back in June.

Typically, teams take advantage of the November test to give their riders a chance to sample their latest machinery for the following year. But since Marquez never got to ride its current GP24 machine, having ridden the 2023-based GP23 with some upgrades at Gresini this year, Ducati is allowing the Spaniard to run two different bikes in Barcelona.

This, in theory, should ease his two-step transition from GP23 to GP25, while also helping him understand why the 2024-spec Desmosedici has been so dominant in MotoGP.

“He also has the GP24, he will try them both,” Pirro revealed in an interview with GPOne. “I expect him to get on and say: ‘ok, everything is a little better’. Not that he will go half-a-second or eight tenths faster. I don’t expect a revolution or anything special.”

Ducati outclassed the competition in MotoGP this year, seizing the title with six rounds to spare in September.

Much of its success is down to the GP24, which according to many represents a massive leap in performance of the already-rapid Desmosedici from 2023.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

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GP24 runners have won 15 of the 19 rounds so far this year, while three of the top four riders in the championship are racing on the current specification of the bike.

Pirro, however, doesn’t think Ducati will make another big jump with the GP25, which remains under development, stressing that only incremental updates are possible year-on-year.

“You will struggle to see and notice the evolution,” said the Italian, who tested the new bike at Jerez a fortnight ago. 

“However, like every year, we try to improve and I believe that the 2025 bike is also a further step forward. And the latest tests have confirmed this. 

“There are no revolutions but small improvements, which will also need to be confirmed on the other tracks. 

He added: “The idea is always the same [to find improvement over GP24], because it would mean that we have found something. 

“But it is not easy and it would already be positive to take a step forward like the one between the GP22 and the GP23, which allows us to always be competitive. 

“I think that what makes the difference is being competitive in all 20 races and not just in some. This year the GP24 has shown that it is competitive in all phases – something that perhaps did not happen between the GP22 and the GP23. 

“It is not a given and it is not easy to find that half a tenth to improve a bike that is really good. But we are working on it and we can’t wait for Pecco and Marc to try it. I am curious to try it too on a track where grip is usually low, like Barcelona”.

Pirro explained that the GP25 is built to suit Bagnaia’s style of riding, but changes made to improve braking performance will also favour his new team-mate Marquez.

“The right term, when the new aerodynamics arrive, in my opinion it will be more angry. It is even more racing, because we have fixed some things for Pecco So, it could have characteristics that go in the direction of [hard] brakers like Bagnaia and Marquez”.

Pirro will again be in action in the Barcelona test, substituting for the injured Fabio di Giannantonio at VR46.

Di Giannantonio, Marquez and Bagnaia will be the only riders to race with the GP25 next year, as Ducati downscales its involvement to three factory bikes from four in 2024.

The Monaco Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2031, the series has announced.

One of the crown jewels of F1’s calendar, Monaco’s contract was up for renewal after the 2025 edition.

There had been doubts about Monaco’s long-term future of the race given its notorious struggles to provide an entertaining race on the narrow streets of the principality, but F1 and the Automobile Club of Monaco have struck a deal that will see the race remain on the calendar for six more years.

Monaco will change dates under its new deal, moving from its traditional end-of-May date to the first weekend of June from 2026 onwards. That means it will no longer clash with the Indianapolis 500.

“I’m delighted that Formula 1 will continue to race in Monaco until 2031,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “The streets of Monte Carlo are unique and a famous part of Formula 1, and the Monaco Grand Prix remains a race that all drivers dream of winning.

“I would like to extend a special thanks to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco and everyone involved in the extension of this important partnership.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Monaco is understood to have forked out a significantly higher sanctioning fee to remain on the calendar. But the race’s commercial prospects have been boosted by F1’s recently announced deal with luxury conglomerate LVMH.

As part of the deal TAG Heuer will take over from Rolex as F1’s official timekeeper next year. TAG has also been a long-standing partner of the Monaco race, which means its branding will no longer clash with F1’s, something which had been a point of discussion when Monaco’s previous contract extension had to be negotiated.

The Monaco Grand Prix featured on the first F1 world championship calendar in 1950, and has been a regular fixture since 1955.

It is understood that F1 has now accepted that due to the tight confines of the Monte Carlo harbour, Monaco’s 3.3km layout is not expected to change throughout the new deal.

As Franco Colapinto has impressed the Formula 1 paddock at Williams as a mid-season replacement for Logan Sargeant, there has been plenty of calls to keep him on the grid for 2025.

But with no room at the Grove-based squad, as Carlos Sainz comes in alongside Alex Albon, the team has been aiming to help the Argentinian find a spot elsewhere.

Over recent weeks speculation linking him to Red Bull has grown stronger, as pressure continues to mount on Sergio Perez while the team’s junior programme remains disjointed.

So, would Colapinto to Red Bull actually work? Our writers provide their takes.

Colapinto has attracted plenty of support in South America

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Why Colapinto partnering Verstappen isn’t as crazy as it sounds – Alex Kalinauckas

What a journey Franco Colapinto has been on in not even three months of Formula 1. From relative obscurity in Formula 2, to being a candidate to partnxer Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2025. Such a bold move would be typical Red Bull driver crowbarring, but it’s not quite as out there as it might seem.

First off, there has been genuine consideration within the Red Bull camp for such a move. It is understood to be something team principal Christian Horner is pushing rather than coming from Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who understandably wants Liam Lawson promoted to benefit the Red Bull Junior Team.

But that previously well-oiled machine is now jammed to the extent it’s clearly broken. Adding Colapinto in at the top would allow time for it to be repaired, with Lawson still given a chance to shine in F1 anyway.

A bigger problem for Red Bull to overcome in any move for Colapinto – at either of its squads – is Williams’s asking price. Rumours have this at $20 million, with Red Bull uninterested in a loan deal for the Argentine.

But, if a deal can be struck, the upsides are considerable for Red Bull.

It is already facing a $20m hit to its prize money for 2024 – given it’s on-track to finish third in the constructors’ championship this year thanks to Sergio Perez failing to get anywhere near close enough to Verstappen, rather than winning as it did in 2022 and 2023. Colapinto also brings sponsors, as Williams is currently enjoying, and massive interest from Latin American.

At the Mexican GP, this writer saw reporters from media outlets in that market arranged several ranks deep every time Colapinto spoke. Plus, interested parties in his home country are already expressing interest in reviving the Argentine Grand Prix. So far, however, it is understood this hasn’t got as far as a formal enquiry being made to Formula One Management about a possible calendar slot…

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

While neither Lawson or Colapinto have historical baggage with Verstappen that might risk upsetting the Dutchman and his camp at Red Bull, there is little to separate them on pure speed either. In terms of their gaps to their current team-mates, Albon is on average 0.179s quicker than Colapinto in qualifying (based on dry sessions only, capped at the point either driver exited) and Yuki Tsunoda is just 0.034s ahead of Lawson by the same metric.

And neither is a certain to be any upgrade on Perez. But this is where driver mental resilience comes into consideration. This is the reason Red Bull won’t promote Tsunoda from RB – it doesn’t think he’ll be able to handle the demands of being team-mate to a true F1 great.

In his six grand prix weekends so far, Colapinto has proved he can cut it with much less prep, even compared to Lawson. He’s gone from shaking slightly facing the media at Monza to a somewhat swaggering paddock presence, which isn’t meant negatively. Crashes such as those he had in Brazil – including an awkward one behind the safety car – can’t continue, however.

Yes, the pressure is off to a certain extent given technically all the seats for 2025 are already gone, but he’s still handling the F1 pressure cooker remarkably well.

This is key for Red Bull. All it needs is a team-mate to get closer to Verstappen – say, with such an average gap as Colapinto has to Albon – and be able to handle the burden of being pushed relentlessly hard from across the garage and, potentially, beaten all the time.

Based on what he’s shown so far, Colapinto could well be the answer to a problem Red Bull has struggled to solve ever since Daniel Ricciardo walked out back in 2018.

Colapinto has put in strong performances that have attracted the attention of Red Bull

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

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Ignoring the hype, Colapinto isn’t ready for Red Bull… yet – Oleg Karpov

Hype is a funny thing. It’s great because it can open a lot of doors. But when it’s gone, they tend to close just as quickly.

There’s definitely a lot of hype around Franco Colapinto right now, and the very fact that Red Bull’s team boss is even considering the Argentinian for 2025 says a lot about the shock waves he’s sent through the paddock since his sudden and unexpected arrival on the F1 grid at Monza.

Because it’s not just Colapinto who’s arrived in F1, it’s the whole country with him in the form of stickers on Williams cars, an avalanche of Argentine fans invading Sao Paulo and Williams’ social media channels, and Argentine politicians suddenly talking about F1. Politicians wouldn’t be politicians if they didn’t try to jump on the hype bandwagon, would they?

This constant noise around Colapinto is great for everyone. Williams, F1 itself – and it can still do a lot of good for any team that signs him up for 2025.

But if Colapinto does join Red Bull, it will be him sharing the garage with Max Verstappen, not the fans and politicians (although stickers may follow), and there’s simply no evidence yet that he’s ready for one of the toughest jobs in F1. It’s not even that it’s too early for Colapinto to jump into one of the best cars on the grid, although that’s probably a valid argument too – there’s just not enough factual data to prove he’s up to the task.

From what we’ve seen of Colapinto so far, it’s safe to say that he’s a better match for Alex Albon than Logan Sargeant. It should also be taken into account that Williams also improved in the second half of the championship, but making it to Q3 and scoring his first points in Baku was impressive. Being ahead of Albon in qualifying also added to the overall excitement, but there’s also the hard fact that Albon didn’t actually get to do his final lap due to the team’s mistake.

Colapinto has shown flashes of speed but also suffered some setbacks

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

The weekend in Singapore was also decent, and scoring points in Austin is definitely worth highlighting. But does that mean he’s ready for a top car? Of course not. It’s probably enough to say that he’s proven that he’s good enough to be in F1. But that’s about it. At least for now.

The circumstances of his debut, jumping into the car mid-season, make for a better overall impression although he’s not the first rookie in F1 to have done well when thrown into the sea to swim recently, and we should probably stop being so surprised at how the new generation of drivers cope with such challenges.

Nowadays, it’s usually time that tells you more. There was a lot of hype around Yuki Tsunoda after his first race in Bahrain, and Nyck de Vries’ spectacular performance at Monza in 2022 earned him praise for the next few months, before the hype train stopped and went into reverse after just a handful of races in 2023.

Colapinto still has a lot to prove. Qualifying margins against Albon in Italy and Mexico are less talked about now. So are crashes. But that’s the nature of today’s media landscape, where Sargeant would have been eaten alive for crashing under the safety car and yet for Colapinto, still in his honeymoon phase in F1, there are still excuses.

The fact that Horner is even considering hiring Colapinto probably says more about the extent of Red Bull’s driver problem than it does about Colapinto’s F1 debut. If it were for sporting reasons alone, Horner would probably be walking into the Williams hospitality to talk to James Vowles about some other driver, be it Carlos Sainz or even Albon. Because if those in the Verstappen camp really can’t abide the idea of a 2015 Toro Rosso reunion, it’s surely Albon who should be higher up on Horner’s list of drivers to buy from Williams. He’s been there before, he knows what it’s like to be next to Verstappen but he’s got a lot more experience now.

But F1 isn’t always about performance. There are probably other reasons why Colapinto is on Horner’s radar. And there’s a good chance he could help Red Bull keep its Latin American sponsors happy in the event of Perez’s release. But whether he can be an asset from a sporting point of view is a question that is impossible to answer at the moment.

Colapinto could be a future superstar. It’s just that there’s little evidence to back up that claim right now.

Will Colapinto say goodbye to F1 at the end of the year?

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Sacha Fenestraz is poised for a return to Super Formula in 2025 with Toyota’s flagship TOM’S team, Motorsport.com understands.

The Franco-Argentinian driver is set to replace Ukyo Sasahara in the #37 TOM’S car as part of a wider deal with Toyota that would also see him race in SUPER GT next season.

Fenestraz admitted when speaking to Motorsport.com in the wake of the news that Nissan would be replacing him with Norman Nato in Formula E that returning to Japanese motorsport was his most likely option.

Both Toyota and Nissan are understood to have made Fenestraz offers to race in Super Formula and SUPER GT, where he raced in 2020-22 before moving to Formula E.

Nissan’s Japanese arm – which is almost entirely separate from its European-based Formula E operation – was prepared to offer Fenestraz a seat in its works NISMO SUPER GT squad, plus his old Super Formula berth at Kondo Racing.

But Fenestraz’s unhappiness with the way his Formula E tenure ended, with Nissan dropping him with two years left to run on his contract, is thought to have been a factor in him pursuing a reunion with Toyota.

Sacha Fenestraz, KONDO RACING

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Sasahara’s immediate Super Formula future is unclear after a difficult season in which he failed to score points, while team-mate Tsuboi took the title.

However, he has been linked to the second seat at Kondo Racing, and could be handed a chance to audition to replace incumbent Kazuto Kotaka, who had a similarly difficult year.

Few other changes are expected in the Toyota stable, with the Inging, KCMG and Rookie Racing teams all looking set for unchanged line-ups.

Team Impul is likely to promote Toyota junior Hibiki Taira to a full-time drive after he was drafted in to fill the seat vacated by Theo Pourchaire for three weekends this year.

Fraga favourite to replace Yamamoto at Nakajima Racing

Igor Fraga has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the seat vacated by three-time champion Naoki Yamamoto, who announced his retirement from Super Formula earlier this month.

Gran Turismo esports star Fraga has spent this season as a reserve driver for Nakajima Racing, which followed the relaunch of his real-life racing career in Super Formula Lights in 2023 and SUPER GT’s lower GT300 class.

The former Red Bull junior previously won the Toyota Racing Series in 2020, beating current Formula 1 drivers Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto to the title, but was released from the energy drink giant’s scheme after just one season amid a difficult campaign in FIA Formula 3.

He then spent two seasons focused only on his virtual racing activities before relocating to Japan, where he was born to Brazilian parents and spent the early part of his life.

Fraga is poised to drive for Nakajima Racing in next month’s rookie test at Suzuka, in what could be regarded as a final audition for a promotion to a race drive.

Iwasa poised to continue with Mugen

Ayumu Iwasa, TEAM MUGEN

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Elsewhere, Ayumu Iwasa looks set to stay on at Team Mugen for a second season despite the team’s relationship with Red Bull coming to an end.

Iwasa finished fifth overall in his rookie season with three second-place finishes in between his commitments for Red Bull’s F1 teams, which included a first FP1 outing with RB in April’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously stated in an interview with Motorsport.com’s Japanese edition that he expected Iwasa to stay in Super Formula in 2025.

Meanwhile, Honda junior Shun Koide may be handed the chance to step up to Super Formula next year, as he leads the Super Formula Lights standings with one round to go.

Koide appears to be a candidate to replace Iori Kimura at B-Max Racing, although there is still a possibility that he could figure in Nakajima Racing’s plans.

The line-ups for the Suzuka rookie test on December 11-13 are likely to provide a strong indication of who will drive where in 2025.

Kamui Kobayashi is expected to miss the test for KCMG as he attends the FIA Prize Giving gala in Kigali, Rwanda, even though it looks likely he will continue to race for the team.

Ferrari has admitted it was late to the party in exploiting the benefits of Formula 1’s flexi wing tricks because it was convinced the FIA would clamp down on the practice.

F1 teams have found that exploiting aero elasticity on front wings with the current generation of cars can be a powerful tool in getting rid of an inherent trait for low-speed understeer and high-speed oversteer that the ground effect machines have.

The balance gains for a well optimised flexi front wing can be noticeable, and that is why teams like McLaren and Mercedes have made notable steps when optimising their designs throughout this season.

Ferrari has itself adopted a new flexi front wing design since the Singapore Grand Prix to seek its own performance boost in this area, and that has coincided with a return to form for the Italian manufacturer which included wins in the United States and Mexico.

Reflecting on why it was so late to aggressively pursue the concept, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has explained that it stalled because of its belief that a move by the FIA to investigate flexi wing behaviours from the Belgian Grand Prix would result in the activity being made more restrictive.

Instead, as Ferrari subsequently found out, the FIA adopted the stance that it was happy with what teams were up to and it has made it clear that it sees no reason to change the rules.

Speaking to Motorsport.com about the flexi wing situation, Vasseur said: “There was frustration because at one stage we were waiting for the decision of the FIA when they installed the cameras [from the Belgian GP].

“We were convinced that it will go for the ‘no go’. And it went for the ‘go’! So probably we lost one or two months.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Vasseur said that Ferrari’s decision to hold fire in pursuing a front wing design that could exploit aero elasticity better was also influenced by the fact that F1’s cost cap restriction meant it could not afford to push on and work on it if there was a risk it would never be brought in to use.

“It’s difficult because with the cost cap you have to make your choices,” added Vasseur.

“It means that if you are convinced that it won’t be allowed, and you have start to develop something, then it’s costing you a time in the wind tunnel. But it was our decision.”

From the Belgian GP, the FIA ramped up its analysis of the flexing of front wings on teams, installing new video cameras and extra monitoring stickers to allow it to better understand the dynamics at play.

Speaking recently about what the governing body had found, the FIA’s head of single seaters Nikolas Tombazis said that the conclusion was that because of the variation of approach of teams, it would have been unfair to introduce any change to flexi wing regulations in the short term.

“Because the front wing gets loaded in different ways, we cannot predict it easily in the regulations,” he said.

“As no two wings have exactly the same loading pattern, it is very difficult to come with a proper test.

“So, as these rules have been around since 2022, we felt it was a bit knee jerk to suddenly say that for 2025 we were going to change it, or indeed change something for 2024.

“But we are using this information we’re gathering to perhaps lead us to something a bit more effective for 2026.”