> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Our verdict on MotoGP's huge 2027 qualifying revamp - URL: https://www.the-race.com/motogp/our-verdict-on-motogps-huge-2027-qualifying-revamp/ - Published: 2026-10-08T04:44:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T04:44:57.000Z - Description: MotoGP will switch to two qualifying sessions from 2027. And some of our team really don't like what that implies - Author: Valentin Khorounzhiy - Tags: MotoGP, #secondary_feature_1 MotoGP will [switch to two qualifying sessions](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/motogp-announces-major-format-change-for-2027/) from 2027, with a separate session on Fridays to set the sprint grid. That means the end of warm-up sessions, an overall reduction in non-competitive practice time, and two qualifying sessions (the new 15-minute Friday sprint qualifying and a revamped Q1 for the grand prix on Saturday morning) with the whole field on track at once. Here’s what our team makes of it all. ## A mixed bag ### Val Khorounzhiy I will welcome the opportunity to write Friday headlines like 'x takes sprint pole' instead of 'x misses Q2 cut', and I guess the previous format was slightly unwieldy in places - but ultimately this is a backdoor way of adding an extra qualifying session for 10 more riders. Under the current format, only two riders had to go for a laptime in all of Friday practice 'PR', Q1 and Q2 (those being the riders who went Q1-to-Q2). Now all 12 who want to be in Q2 need to push again in Q1, having already pushed on Friday. I'm pretty happy otherwise about the idea of finally splitting off the 'practice' part of Friday afternoon practice and the final-minutes qualifying part - it was silly that the full hour-long session was eligible to decide Q2 passage, and it created needless stress in case of uncertain weather. But I don't know what would have been wrong with just setting the sprint grid on Friday while keeping the Sunday grid formation as is. And certainly I do not at all believe that this will ease the load on the riders in any way. ## I hate it ### Simon Patterson Yet another step in the wrong direction, yet another decision that creates more potential risk for riders. Q1 and Q2 sessions were introduced in the first place to make sure that we didn’t have 22 riders on track at the same time in a short 15-minute window going hell for leather looking for a lap time. So what have we done? Created two sessions that will be like that. Warm-ups are essentially gone, replaced with extra warm-up laps on the way to the grid. But essentially if you crash in qualifying, then the start of the race is your next proper time on track. At least that change ensures more time for go-karts and tuk-tuks instead of actually concentrating on going racing… MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta said “it was proposed by the teams and then we worked together with the teams and riders to get to the best possible format". I’ve yet to find a team that agrees with that - and I’ve spoken to quite a few since the news came out. This feels like solely a MotoGP promotional decision, designed to maximise the showbusiness bit of the weekend at the expense of the thing that those of us who love the sport actually want to see. Oh, and of course once again Moto2 and Moto3 are further marginalised and pushed to one side. I hate it. ## Not needed when so much is changing anyway ### Megan White MotoGP’s organisers are trying to maximise the opportunity for different results and more exciting action across a race weekend, of course, but is this the best solution? Firstly, safety: Chucking every rider on track for both sprint qualifying on Friday and Q1 on a Saturday morning appears a tad ripe for incidents, and adding another high-stakes qualifying session seems like a pretty likely way to increase the number of crashes, and thus the number of injuries. Scrapping MotoGP’s warm-up session - as already happened with Moto2 and Moto3 - also seems a step backwards. I’ll be interested to hear what the riders have to say about these changes, and whether there was any consultation. Personally, I don’t like the idea of having two qualifying sessions before any racing, but that’s a bit of a lose-lose situation. You either have one qualifying session, then a sprint, then ruin the momentum by chucking in another qualifying session, or you take the path which MotoGP has opted for and run both qualifying sessions first. Of course, more meaningful running is better for fans, because some of those practice sessions did get a bit boring to watch. It’ll certainly be an interesting change to the schedule! Ultimately, I think it would make sense to wait and see if the new regulations, switch of tyre supplier and exciting rider market changes prompt the increase in interest that MotoGP is looking for, before introducing something which adds more risk. ## There are definite positives ### Glenn Freeman I'm not sure MotoGP needed to do something to create separate grids for its two races, as the starts and opening laps of bike races usually have enough variation that the same grid line-ups rarely create similar races on a given weekend. But now changes are being made, at first glance I like them. The first positive to me is the removal of practice having some bearing on qualifying, even if practice time is being cut. I also like the idea of everyone being in Q1\. I never liked the system of locking in all-bar two of the Q2 participants ahead of time, and Q1 being about the back half of the grid and the battle for the fastest two riders to progress. Giving everyone the same shot under the same circumstances in Q1 makes more sense, and makes Q1 more worth watching. As for removing the race morning warm-up, that's only noteworthy to me in that I found those sessions novel during my younger years watching F1 and GP bike racing, and I liked that MotoGP had retained it for 20+ years after F1 ditched them. But I couldn't tell you the last time I watched one, or even looked up who was quickest! ## MotoGP doesn't need this - but circuits might ### Matt Beer If MotoGP had a problem with sprints following the exact same script as grands prix and the identical grids creating identical storylines across both days, then this move would be a sporting necessity to justify keeping sprints. But it doesn't - start performance differences, the very different set-up, tyre and bike spec demands of a half-distance race and how performance evolves through a weekend mean that more often than not the sprint has a different enough flavour to the grand prix and it just makes the event multi-chapter. MotoGP's not doing this for the excitement of a rider being seventh on one grid and fourth on another, though. The big win from this is that there's an element of Friday that now really, really counts for something that's a step beyond just a Q2 spot. The biggest reason Formula 1 keeps adding more and more sprints is because circuits are keen to have meaningful track action on all three days. That's obviously better for business than Friday being practice-only. I can see the reservations from those wary of (or vehemently against) this change. But the benefits to promoters are just too obvious to not do this.