MOTOGP CHIEF SPORTING OFFICER SAYS 22-RIDER GRID IS THE RIGHT SIZE

MotoGP chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta has played down the idea that the championship needs to grow its grid size, insisting the current 22-rider format is something the series wants to protect. Speaking on the subject, Ezpeleta said MotoGP “like[s] 22” and is “not convinced that having more bikes on the grid is actually better for anybody.” He added that there is “tremendous value in the teams [grid places] right now,” and that MotoGP wants to preserve that structure.

Ezpeleta’s comments come against the backdrop of recent manufacturer changes. MotoGP has stayed at its present size since Suzuki withdrew at the end of 2022, and the end of the GSX-RR project also ended the class’s earlier ambition of a perfectly balanced, symmetrical setup—where each of the six manufacturers would run one factory and one satellite team. Instead, the current arrangement has four manufacturers each supporting an independent team, with Ducati providing two additional teams.

While Ezpeleta welcomed the prospect of new manufacturers joining, he stressed that entry into MotoGP is not straightforward. “Of course, new manufacturers are always welcome,” he said, but noted that there is “a pathway and a process for competing in MotoGP,” adding that “it’s really hard to get to that level.”

Alongside the discussion of grid size, Ezpeleta also addressed upcoming calendar changes. He confirmed that manufacturers will remain unchanged, but that the schedule will shift next season with two “new” venues. Buenos Aires’ Autódromo Oscar y Juan Galvez is set to return to the calendar for the first time since 1999, while Adelaide will replace Phillip Island as the host of the Australian round.

Ezpeleta said the calendar is “close to being confirmed,” and described the balancing act involved in adding events. “There are two new circuits coming in which are already confirmed for next year,” he said, while also warning that “you can only be so ambitious,” because introducing multiple new races at once makes each event “four-five times more complex than an existing event.”

Looking further ahead, MotoGP has already confirmed that the 2027 season—marking the start of the new 850cc and Pirelli era—will begin in Thailand on March 5-7.