APRILIA AND TECH3 BACK SHORTER 2027 MOTOGP WEEKENDS TO CUT COSTS

Aprilia and Tech3 were among the strongest supporters of MotoGP’s shorter race-weekend schedule for 2027, with cost savings reportedly a major motivation. Journalist Mat Oxley said the teams, led by Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola and Tech3’s Guenther Steiner, pushed to reduce the amount of time bikes spend on track.

The new season will bring major technical changes, including 850cc motorcycles, Pirelli tyres and a ban on ride-height devices. The weekend format is also changing: riders will have a separate qualifying session for the Sprint, while the schedule will include two practice sessions on Friday and one on Saturday. The Sunday warm-up is being dropped.

Oxley calculated that the revised schedule removes 35 minutes of practice and qualifying time. For fans attending all three days, that means less action to watch. For teams, however, fewer laps mean lower mileage on engines and other equipment, including chassis, wheels and brakes. Oxley estimated the reduction could amount to about 1,000 miles per rider over a season—roughly the mileage of an engine—and potentially save each team around €1 million per rider.

At that rate, the reported savings could approach €2 million for each team’s two riders. The source cited Tech3’s Luca Marini and Senna Agius, and Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia, in illustrating the possible impact for 2027. Oxley stressed that mileage is tracked across a range of components, so the financial benefit would extend beyond engine use.

He explained on the Oxley Bom MotoGP podcast: “I’ve been told Aprilia and Tech3 were the real pushers. They want less track time because they want to save money.” He added that the reduced running could save “each team one million euros per year, per season, per rider,” describing it as “quite a significant amount of money” and the main reason behind the change.

The format has also drawn safety concerns. Bagnaia has criticised the removal of Sunday warm-up, arguing that riders will lose a final opportunity to prepare before the race. Oxley has separately warned that putting all 22 riders into Q1 could create congestion on track. The shorter schedule may therefore reduce operating costs, but it also means less preparation time and raises questions about how qualifying will work with the full field.