DOVIZIOSO WARNS MOTOGP’S 2027 FORMAT COULD PUSH RIDERS TOO FAR

Andrea Dovizioso has warned that MotoGP’s 2027 weekend changes risk pushing riders beyond their limits, as criticism grows over the extra qualifying session and the removal of Sunday warm-up.

Under the new schedule, Friday will feature two practice sessions, followed by a 15-minute qualifying session that sets the sprint grid. Saturday brings a further 20-minute practice, the usual qualifying for the Grand Prix and then the sprint. Sunday’s warm-up is being replaced by a 10-minute sighting-lap period. The changes arrive alongside the 2027 technical rules, including 850cc engines, Pirelli tyres and a ban on ride-height devices.

Dovizioso, speaking on his YouTube channel, said the format reflects a wider tendency to prioritise spectacle over athletes’ welfare. “For the rider, it’s getting worse and worse,” he said. “Everything you add in this way destroys them because you don’t give them the slightest chance to create the conditions needed to perform.”

Marc Marquez also questioned the purpose of the change, saying it would make the weekend “more intense, more demanding” for riders. He added that the current schedule was sufficient and that riders had little say in the decision: “We must shut up…I mean, teams and organisation decide. So, you take it or you leave.”

Safety concerns centre partly on the new sprint qualifying. All 22 riders will contest the 15-minute session, with only one tyre allowed, according to IRTA president Lucio Cecchinello. Riders and observers have raised the prospect of congestion as competitors seek clear track and a fast lap in a short window. Pedro Acosta has also warned that the added workload and risk could shorten riders’ careers.

The loss of warm-up has prompted a separate debate. Riders who crash or encounter a technical problem in Saturday’s sprint may have limited opportunity to assess repairs before Sunday’s race. The replacement sighting laps will not be ridden at full speed, and fuelling is prohibited on the grid. Luca Marini suggested riders might use their second bikes for those laps to avoid consuming fuel.

Opinions among the grid are not uniform. Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia supported the format, and Marco Bezzecchi said he liked it. Fabio Quartararo called an extra qualifying session “not a problem”, though he would prefer longer practice to help riders understand their bikes. Bagnaia also said only four riders attended the Safety Commission meeting in Japan where the proposal was discussed, and that those present agreed with it.

The dispute has renewed questions about how effectively riders can influence decisions. Fabio Di Giannantonio said he had stopped attending Safety Commission meetings because “it was really difficult to get promises on things that we were trying to ask”. He said riders had once come “quite close” to forming an association, but failed to reach agreement. Maverick Viñales recalled feeling that attempts to organise could get riders “in trouble”, making it easier to stay quiet and ride.

Jorge Martin said he was curious about the new schedule but felt riders had not been consulted, adding that it would be good for MotoGP’s organisers to show more interest in their views. His exchange with Bezzecchi—who said he liked the format—also illustrated the lack of a united position.

The changes are intended to increase excitement for fans, but the debate extends beyond the timetable: riders are questioning the extra physical demands, potential safety consequences and their limited influence over the decisions shaping their sport.