EZPELETA SAYS TEAMS REQUESTED MOTOGP’S 2027 FORMAT CHANGES

MotoGP’s 2027 event schedule will bring a reshaped qualifying programme and remove the Sunday morning warm-up, changes that have already drawn criticism from riders. Carlos Ezpeleta, the championship’s sporting director, said the revisions followed requests from teams rather than a proposal initiated by the riders.

The announcement came before the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika. Under the new format, Friday afternoon’s timed practice session will be replaced by a second free practice and a separate qualifying session for Saturday’s sprint. Grand Prix grid positions will then be decided in another qualifying session on Saturday. The changes apply to MotoGP’s premier class.

The Sunday warm-up will also be dropped. In its place, riders will complete several formation laps before the race, beginning in 2027. The existing warm-up is a 10-minute session and is currently held only in MotoGP. Ezpeleta said the alternative could be considered for Moto2 and Moto3 if teams in those classes ask for it.

Riders voiced objections when the changes were discussed at the Indonesian GP. Pecco Bagnaia called the removal of warm-up a “no-go”, while several riders raised concerns that the more demanding schedule could increase injury risk. They were also unhappy that the changes had been announced without direct consultation with them.

Ezpeleta said the teams had approached MotoGP about the timetable at the Misano Grand Prix. Manufacturers had long sought less track time, he explained, while the organisers also wanted to make sessions more compelling for spectators without increasing danger to riders. “The adjustments correspond to these wishes, which came exclusively from the teams,” he said.

He argued that Friday’s current format does not function as a straightforward qualifying session: teams use about 80 per cent of the timed practice as additional free practice, then make two time attacks in the final 15 minutes. Michelin had confirmed that pattern, Ezpeleta said. Separating practice and qualifying should make the purpose of each session clearer to fans, while giving riders who miss out on Q2 on Friday another opportunity to qualify.

The new Saturday schedule will mean all 22 riders face multiple qualifying attacks, rather than only the 12 who currently contest Q2. Ezpeleta acknowledged that MotoGP considers riders’ needs and supports them, but said teams—not individual riders—are the championship’s contractual partners.

He also defended ending the warm-up, saying it was originally intended to identify or fix problems before the race. Michelin had told MotoGP that Sunday morning conditions on current tyres do not reflect those riders encounter during the race. Ezpeleta said the replacement formation laps would allow riders to complete more laps immediately before the start.