MotoGP's major weekend format overhaul for 2027 has been driven by the teams themselves, according to championship deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta.
The sport will introduce separate qualifying sessions for the Sprint and Grand Prix next season, creating two different grids across the weekend. While some riders have questioned the changes, Ezpeleta says the idea originally came from the teams as they looked for ways to improve the format and reduce the amount of track time.
The new schedule was officially confirmed by the Grand Prix Commission this week and will arrive alongside MotoGP's new technical regulations and smaller 850cc engines in 2027.
" This change is an initiative that came from the teams. They were the ones who came to us and said they believed it could be improved," Ezpeleta told Motorsport.com.
Under the new format, Friday will become more important. Riders will have a 45-minute FP1, followed by a 30-minute FP2 before a new 15-minute Sprint qualifying session. The Sprint qualifying session will determine the grid for Saturday afternoon's Sprint.
Saturday will retain much of its current structure, with a 20-minute FP3 followed by Grand Prix qualifying. All riders will take part in Q1, with the 12 fastest advancing to Q2 to determine the front positions for Sunday's main race.
The biggest change is that the Sprint and Grand Prix will no longer share the same qualifying result. Since Sprint races were introduced in 2023, Saturday qualifying has determined the starting grids for both races.
Sunday will also lose MotoGP's traditional 10-minute warm-up. Instead, the pitlane will open for 10 minutes before the Grand Prix, allowing riders to complete several sighting laps and make final checks before the race.
Despite adding another qualifying session, the overall amount of MotoGP track time will actually fall. Ezpeleta said the total reduction will be around 35 minutes, including the removal of the Sunday warm-up.
That reduction was an important factor for manufacturers, particularly with the introduction of the new 850cc motorcycles next year.
"Overall, track time will be reduced by 35 minutes, including the removal of the warm-up, which is something the manufacturers wanted in order to reduce the mileage accumulated by certain components," Ezpeleta explained.
Friday will also start slightly later, another change that Ezpeleta said the manufacturers had requested.
The changes have not been universally welcomed by riders. Some have expressed concerns that adding Sprint qualifying to Friday could increase the pressure and leave less time for recovery during an already demanding weekend.
MotoGP, however, believes the revised structure will create more meaningful sessions while giving teams a more manageable workload.
Ezpeleta also pointed to a changing management landscape within MotoGP, with a new generation of team executives bringing different ideas about how the championship should develop.
One example is Guenther Steiner, the former Haas Formula 1 team boss who became involved with Tech3 after its acquisition at the end of 2025.
According to Ezpeleta, these newer executives have been particularly clear about the direction they want MotoGP to take.
With the 850cc era arriving at the same time, 2027 is shaping up to be one of the biggest resets in MotoGP's modern history. The revised weekend format will add a second qualifying battle, reduce overall track time and give teams a different strategic puzzle to solve from Friday onwards.
