MotoGP 2027 Weekend Format: New Sprint Qualifying & Separate Grids
Shorter FP2, 15-Minute Friday Shootout and Pit Lane Sighting Laps Headline a Rebuilt Race Weekend Arriving Alongside MotoGP's New Technical Regulations
MotoGP has announced a reworked race weekend for 2027. It adds a dedicated qualifying session for the Sprint, so the Sprint and the Grand Prix will each have their own starting grid at every round. The announcement was made on Wednesday, October 7, and the new format arrives next season alongside the sport's new bikes and technical regulations.
Organisers say the changes are designed to raise the stakes in each session for fans while keeping a sensible amount of track time for riders, teams and manufacturers.
FRIDAY: A SHORTER FP2 AND A NEW SPRINT SHOOTOUT
The opening day starts with a 45-minute FP1, as it does now. A 30-minute FP2 then replaces the current Practice session. This shorter session will not be used to set entry into any other session, so riders can work on setup and race preparation without a time attack hanging over it.
Friday then ends with the new 15-minute Sprint qualifying session, open to every rider. It sets the grid for Saturday afternoon's Tissot Sprint, so the Friday timesheets will carry real consequences for the first time.
SATURDAY: FP3, FULL-FIELD GP Q1 AND THE SPRINT
Saturday opens with a 20-minute FP3, followed by qualifying for the Grand Prix. All riders enter Grand Prix Qualifying 1, which lasts 15 minutes, and the top 12 progress to a 15-minute GP Q2. Those two sessions set the grid for Sunday's race.
The Sprint closes Saturday, run on the grid decided by Friday's Sprint qualifying rather than by Saturday's GP qualifying.
SUNDAY: MOTO3 AND MOTO2 FIRST, THEN PIT LANE SIGHTING LAPS
On Sunday the Moto3 and Moto2 races come first. The track time that MotoGP currently uses for its Warm Up moves to just before the Grand Prix. Pit lane will open for ten minutes, letting riders complete multiple sighting laps and shake down their bikes immediately before lights out.
The MotoGP Grand Prix then starts from the grid set by GP Q1 and GP Q2.
2027 GRANDS PRIX AT A GLANCE
Day | Session | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Friday | FP1 | 45 min | Unchanged |
Friday | FP2 | 30 min | Replaces Practice; not timed for entry into other sessions |
Friday | Sprint Qualifying | 15 min | All riders; sets Sprint grid |
Saturday | FP3 | 20 min | |
Saturday | Grand Prix Q1 | 15 min | All riders |
Saturday | Grand Prix Q2 | 15 min | Top 12 from Q1 |
Saturday | MotoGP Sprint | Race | Grid from Sprint Qualifying |
Sunday | Moto3 and Moto2 Grands Prix | Race | Run before MotoGP |
Sunday | Pit lane sighting laps | 10 min | Replaces Warm Up; held before the Grand Prix |
Sunday | MotoGP Grand Prix | Race | Grid from GP Q1 and Q2 |
Credit Photo : MotoGP
