MOTOGP RIDERS SPLIT OVER 2027 WEEKEND FORMAT

MotoGP’s revised 2027 weekend format has divided riders, with the changes becoming a major topic of discussion ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix. Francesco Bagnaia and Luca Marini believe the new format could help promote the championship, while Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez feel it will place too much demand on riders. Marc Marquez also questioned the change, saying it would make weekends “more intense, more demanding” for riders and asking what its “main goal” was. “With the [current] schedule, it’s enough,” he said. “But we don’t decide. It is what it is, and we must shut up.”

The new format, announced ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix, adds a 15-minute qualifying session on Friday to set the sprint grid. It follows a 45-minute first practice and a 30-minute second practice. Grand Prix qualifying remains on Saturday, ahead of the sprint, while Sunday’s warm-up is removed. The changes accompany MotoGP’s 2027 technical rules, including 850cc engines, reduced aerodynamics and a ban on ride-height devices.

Bagnaia welcomes the extra qualifying session, saying the revised format is “an improvement” and noting that riders have long wanted separate qualifying sessions for the sprint and Grand Prix. But he objects to dropping Sunday warm-up, which will be replaced by extra laps on the way to the grid. He believes riders need those laps to prepare safely, particularly if someone crashes in the sprint, and to assess tyres and the new bikes with less track time available. “I don’t think we can have a race without some warm-up laps beforehand,” he said. “We need to be safe afterwards.”

Lucio Cecchinello, LCR team owner and IRTA president, said the decision followed discussions with engineers. MotoGP tyres are designed to work within specific temperature ranges, and track conditions during the early Sunday warm-up differ from those at race time. Some engineers therefore considered the session of limited value beyond basic functional checks. Cecchinello said the revised schedule would make the warm-up “just an extension of a sighting lap” and would be “better” for everyone.

Marquez said decisions are made by teams and the organisation: “So, you take it or you leave. It is what it is.” He also backed Acosta’s warning that the extra demands could shorten riders’ careers, saying: “I completely agree. My one is [nearly] done, but I completely agree with Acosta. It’s true.”