MotoGP adds permanent sprint qualifying format for 2027

MotoGP has revealed a new sprint qualifying format for 2027, as part of sweeping changes to the entire weekend schedule. 

Starting with Fridays, MotoGP will retain its current 45-minute Free Practice 1 session, however, a shorter 30-minute Free Practice 2 session will replace the hour-long Practice. 

This means there will be no practice session that decides automatic entry for the top ten heading into Saturday’s qualifying for the Grand Prix. 

Free Practice 2 will be its own session, before the new 15-minute sprint qualifying wraps up Friday’s schedule. 

Sprint qualifying will determine the entire grid for Saturday’s sprint race, meaning the 15-minute session on Friday will include all 22 riders at once. 

Saturday’s MotoGP action will then begin with Free Practice 3, a 20-minute session that will be followed by Q1.

The first part of qualifying will then be followed by a second 15-minute Q2 session, where the 12 fastest riders from Q1 advance. 

With the addition of sprint qualifying, MotoGP has also decided to drop the 10-minute warm-up session on Sunday.

If you’re wondering why these changes have been made, or why they look similar to an F1 schedule on a sprint weekend, well, that’s because MotoGP is now under Liberty Media’s ownership umbrella, which also features F1. 

But while the schedule looks a lot more tailored towards that of F1, there is still a major difference. 

F1, at least for now, does not hold sprint weekends at every race, making MotoGP the only series to do so.

Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown