Marini: Pack MotoGP Calendar, Not Cut Races, for Longer Winter

Luca Marini has spoken out about the grueling MotoGP schedule. The Honda HRC rider believes the winter break is too short, but insists that reducing the number of races isn't necessarily the answer.

The 2026 season will run for nine full months, starting in late February and concluding in Valencia at the end of November. After that, teams and riders will have less than two months off before the 2027 campaign kicks off with pre-season testing at Sepang, typically in early February.

According to Luca Marini, this schedule leaves little room for recovery and preparation. He has a different idea: condense the calendar, not cut rounds.

Baca JugaLuca Marini Usul Kalender MotoGP Dipadatkan, Bukan Kurangi Balapan

“For me, the course of events over the year is not ideal,” Marini told Speedweek. “I think we should put the races closer together and try to create a bigger window in the winter.”

Marini stressed that the lack of downtime means riders can no longer make physical improvements. “The fact is, today we have zero time—neither to really recover, and, more importantly, no time at all to prepare so specifically for the next season. There is no time to improve further,” he said.

He also highlighted the impact on old injuries. “With the current calendar, there is no break at all. I train all year round. It is not possible to do nothing with the current planning. I need all the energy to be ready—but I would like to have more time to work out old injuries even more concretely, for example. I would also like to improve physically from season to season, but that takes time for specific physio programmes,” Marini explained.

Marini's proposal is sure to spark discussion among MotoGP decision-makers. Amid commercial demands for more races, the riders' voices on physical sustainability are a crucial reminder. Will the calendar actually be condensed? We'll have to wait and see.