MotoGP 2027: Friday sprint qualifying and two separate grids
The newsroomUpdated on October 7, 20263 minMotoGP changes its weekend format for 2027: a 15-minute sprint qualifying on Friday, Q1 for everyone, 12 riders in Q2 and no more warm-up. Full schedule.
Key point
From 2027, MotoGP will use two grids: a 15-minute sprint qualifying on Friday sets the sprint start, and Saturday's qualifying sets the Grand Prix grid.
MotoGP announced on 7 October 2026 an overhaul of its race weekend from the 2027 season. The big novelty: a sprint qualifying session on Friday afternoon, which will give Saturday's sprint a different grid from Sunday's Grand Prix.
Why this is a break with the past
Since sprints were introduced in 2023, MotoGP has used the same grid for the sprint and the main race, unlike Formula 1. With sprint qualifying, the two races will now have two clearly separate grids.
Friday is almost completely reworked. Since the middle of the 2024 season, an hour-long timed session let the ten fastest riders go straight into Q2. That direct entry disappears.
The new MotoGP weekend schedule
Friday
- FP1: 45 minutes, same as in 2026.
- FP2: 30 minutes, compared with one hour at present.
- Sprint qualifying: 15 minutes, a new session that sets the sprint grid.
Saturday
- FP3: 20 minutes, compared with 30 minutes at present.
- Q1: 15 minutes, open to all riders.
- Q2: 15 minutes, with the top 12 from Q1.
- Sprint: in the afternoon, from the grid set by sprint qualifying.
Sunday
- The 10-minute MotoGP warm-up is removed.
- The Grand Prix starts from the grid set by Saturday's qualifying.
What it changes for the riders
Q1 now includes every rider, whereas until now it only concerned those outside the top 10 on Friday. Q2 takes the top 12 from Q1, instead of the ten fastest on Friday plus the top two from Q1. According to Motorsport Week, removing the warm-up is perhaps the most controversial change.
Shorter practice sessions also leave less time to set up the bikes. Saturday keeps its usual order: practice and qualifying in the morning, the sprint in the afternoon. That is not the choice made by F1, where the sprint comes before the main qualifying.
This format will apply from the 2027 MotoGP season. The two sources consulted describe the same schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When does the new MotoGP format take effect?
From the 2027 season, according to the announcement of 7 October 2026.
What is sprint qualifying in MotoGP?
It is a 15-minute session on Friday afternoon. It only sets the grid for Saturday's sprint.
Does the Sunday warm-up still exist?
No. The 10-minute warm-up is removed in MotoGP from 2027.
Who can fight for pole position from 2027?
All riders go through the 15-minute Q1. The top 12 move on to Q2, also 15 minutes long.
Sources
- Crash.net — the 2027 MotoGP weekend format
- Motorsport Week — MotoGP announces radical change to its weekend format
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