The premier class of motorcycle racing is set for a major shake-up after MotoGP announced a radical change to its weekend format, introducing a sprint qualifying session starting from the 2027 season. Ever since sprint races were introduced back in the 2023 season, the championship has used the exact same grid for both its sprint and main race, differing from the similarly Liberty Media-owned Formula 1. However, series organisers MotoGPSEG have officially announced a radical shift to bring sprint qualifying into play on Friday afternoons, creating two completely separate grids for the sprint and the main race.
This update serves as an almost complete overhaul to Friday’s action, which had previously been altered with the introduction of an hour-long timed practice session midway through the 2024 season where the 10 fastest riders received direct entry into Q2. Under the new plans, the weekend will kick off as usual with 45 minutes for FP1 on Friday morning, before returning to FP2 in the afternoon for 30 minutes. Direct entry into Q2 has now been removed due to the change in the weekend format given the shorter session, which will now be immediately followed by sprint qualifying.
Sprint qualifying will take place for 15 minutes and will decide the grid solely for Saturday’s sprint race, marking the biggest structural change to the weekend. Looking at the revised Saturday schedule, 20 minutes for FP3 and qualifying remain in their traditional morning slots—unlike F1 which holds its sprint race before main qualifying—while the sprint race itself will take place in the afternoon. However, the overall qualifying format has also changed significantly, as all riders will now partake in Q1, with the 12 fastest riders progressing directly to the shootout for pole position in Q2.
In perhaps the most controversial change of all, MotoGP has completely removed its warm-up sessions for the premier class after previously abandoning the session for Moto2 and Moto3 ahead of the sprints, with all three main races taking place on Sunday. As reported by Motorsport Week, this comprehensive restructuring aims to inject a fresh dynamic into the race weekends, forcing teams and riders to rethink their strategies from the very first session on Friday morning. The removal of morning warm-ups also places an even greater emphasis on nailing machine setup during practice.
This sweeping overhaul promises to alter the strategic landscape of the championship completely. With a brand-new qualifying hierarchy and distinct grids for Saturday and Sunday, teams will face an intense learning curve to master the updated timetable. Fans around the globe will undoubtedly watch closely to see how these sweeping structural adjustments reshape the competitive order when the new era officially begins in 2027.
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