MotoGP bans wildcard entries, keeps tyre pressure rule

MotoGP will ban wildcards from the 2027 season onwards, the FIM has announced as part of a slate of Grand Prix Commission decisions.

The measure will have required the approval of all five manufacturers - Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, Honda and Yamaha - intent on participating next year. It coincides with the introduction of all-new, 850cc bikes.

Currently, the wildcard allowance by manufacturer varies by concession rank. The top-ranked manufacturer - Ducati, which stands at 'Rank A' - is already under a wildcard ban, but the lowest tier, 'Rank D', enables as many as six wildcard outings per manufacturer.

These wildcard entries - meaning additional bikes fielded in regular competition by a manufacturer - are normally used by test riders for additional development work.

While the exact detail of MotoGP's concessions system for 2027 has not been publicised yet, the FIM has made it clear no rank will be permitted wildcards now.

This decision will presumably be related to production capacity as the factories work to complete enough new bikes for next year’s regulation change.

MotoGP is already in a place where not all manufacturers maximise their wildcard allowance. KTM, for instance, has not run any since it hit financial trouble at the start of 2025.

The Race understands, however, that KTM was one of the entities keen on preserving or expanding wildcard allowance into 2027, rather than abolishing it.

This was perhaps related to KTM's worry over losing its satellite team Tech3 and being limited to two bikes. And the passage of this new measure could be taken as an indication KTM will have a satellite team in 2027 after all. 

This year only two factories have fielded wildcard entries so far, and it's quite plausible there won't be too many more. This is because wildcarding with 850cc bikes in a field of 1000ccs will not be allowed - as has been now confirmed by the Grand Prix Commission.

In-the-moment development work is likely to totally switch over to the 2027 bikes around the summer so there will be no real benefit to fielding additional 1000cc bikes in the later rounds.

Wildcards will remain permitted in Moto2 and Moto3.

Also announced was a minor tweak to the start delayed procedure (a mandatory five-minute countdown ahead of the restart instead of a three-minute one) and the continuation of tyre pressure monitoring.

However, that last one may not be as dire as it sounds for MotoGP. While currently, under tyre supplier Michelin, tyre pressures are checked post-race and post-race penalties are awarded for infringements, new supplier Pirelli is expected to rely on pre-race checks - as is already the case in World Superbikes.