MotoGP Sprint and GP to have separate qualifying from 2027

MotoGP has announced a new weekend format set to come into effect from 2027, bringing significant changes to how the three-day schedule is structured.

1. Sprint and Grand Prix will have separate qualifying sessions and separate grids
2. New Sprint Qualifying on Friday
3. Separate Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday

New 2027 MotoGP weekend format

Practice sessions will no longer have any bearing on qualifying position

The current MotoGP race weekend begins with Free Practice on Friday, followed by a timed Practice session. The 10 fastest riders in this session progress directly to Q2, while the remaining riders contest Q1 on Saturday. The two fastest riders in Q1 then join the top 10 in Q2, with the results of the 15-minute session setting the starting grid for both the Sprint and the main Grand Prix.

From 2027, the current Practice session will be replaced by a second Free Practice (FP2) session, which will have no bearing on qualifying. Instead, Friday will feature a new 15-minute Sprint Qualifying session, open to all riders, with the results determining the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race.

Saturday will then feature a 20-minute FP3 session, followed by Grand Prix Q1, which will also be open to all riders. The 12 fastest riders from Q1 will progress to GP Q2, meaning the qualifying sessions for the Sprint and Grand Prix will be completely separate. This opens up the possibility of an entirely different starting order for both races.

On Sunday, the Moto3 and Moto2 races will run as before. However, the MotoGP Warm Up session, which currently takes place earlier on race day, will be dropped. Instead, the pit lane will open for 10 minutes of sighting laps immediately before the Grand Prix.

The new format will arrive alongside an all-new generation of MotoGP machinery and technical regulations, making 2027 one of the most significant seasons in the championship’s recent history.