MotoGP is preparing for a major overhaul starting from the 2027 season. The new sporting regulations will introduce a dedicated qualifying session for the Sprint, definitively separating Saturday’s starting grid from the one used for Sunday’s main Grand Prix.
Since the Sprint format was introduced in 2023, the same qualifying session has determined the grid for both races. From 2027, however, the weekend format will change with the aim of making the schedule more dynamic and giving greater importance to each individual session.
Dedicated Sprint Qualifying on Friday
The main change will come on Friday afternoon, when a short qualifying session will be held exclusively to determine the starting grid for the Sprint race.
At the same time, the Friday Practice session will be shortened as part of the wider restructuring of the race weekend.
Saturday morning will remain dedicated to qualifying for the Grand Prix, but this session will also undergo significant changes.
Under the new format, every rider will have to take part in Q1, removing the current system that allows the ten fastest riders from Friday Practice to qualify directly for Q2.
The 12 fastest riders from Q1 will then progress to Q2, where they will fight for pole position and the leading grid positions for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Sunday Warm-Up to Be Scrapped
Another important change will concern Sunday morning.
The traditional 10-minute warm-up session will be removed from the MotoGP schedule.
Instead, before the race riders will have a window of approximately 10 minutes during which they will be allowed to complete multiple sighting laps before lining up on the starting grid.
The change forms part of a broader revision of the MotoGP weekend format, designed to concentrate more track action into the sessions that directly affect the races.
2027 Will Mark a New Era for MotoGP
The sporting changes will arrive alongside one of the most important technical revolutions in recent MotoGP history.
From 2027, the championship will introduce new 850cc motorcycles, replacing the current 1000cc machines.
The new technical regulations will also bring major aerodynamic changes and tighter restrictions on the technical devices used on the bikes.
The 2027 season will also mark the arrival of Pirelli as MotoGP’s new sole tyre supplier, replacing Michelin.
With new technical regulations, different tyres and a completely revised weekend format, MotoGP is preparing to enter a new era, with changes that are set to significantly reshape how Grand Prix weekends are contested.