MotoGP unveils reshuffled 2026 MotoGP calendar for final 1000cc season

MotoGP has unveiled its 2026 calendar, which will feature 22 rounds and see the return of the Brazilian Grand Prix early in the season.

The current 2025 campaign is scheduled to be the longest in MotoGP history at 22 rounds, 12 of which have already been run.

MotoGP will maintain this number of races for the 2026 season, which will be the last of the current 1000cc engine formula - first introduced in 2012 - ahead of the 850cc switch in 2027.

Despite an uncertain future for the Thailand Grand Prix, it is currently scheduled to open the season again on 27 February to 1 March.

With the Argentina Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo already announced as being dropped for 2026, its slot on 20-22 March will be filled by the returning Brazilian Grand Prix at the Ayrton Senna circuit.

It will mark the country’s first MotoGP round since 2004, when it was run under the Rio Grand Prix title. Argentina is due to return in 2027 in Buenos Aires.

The US Grand Prix in Austin will take place a week later, before MotoGP heads to the Middle East and Qatar on 10-12 April.

The first European round will be the Spanish Grand Prix on 24-26 of April at Jerez, followed by the French Grand Prix at Le Mans on 8-10 May.

A week later will see the Catalan Grand Prix run, as the Barcelona event gets moved to a May slot having been pencilled in for a September date this year.

Another back-to-back follows, with the Italian Grand Prix taking place on 29-31 May followed by the Hungarian Grand Prix on 5-7 June.

The Czech Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix are also positioned back-to-back on 19-21 June and 26-28 June, before the German Grand Prix on 10-12 July brings the first half of the calendar to a close.

The British Grand Prix returns to an August date on 7-9, before the Aragon Grand Prix on 28-30 August followed by the San Marino Grand Prix on 11-13 September.

A week later is the Austrian Grand Prix, moved out of its August slot to run on 18-20 September.

MotoGP then heads to Japan on 2-4 October, with it back-to-back with Indonesia. Australia and Malaysia sit back-to-back on 25 October and 1 November, with the championship brought to a close with a Portugal/Valencia double-header on 15 November and 22 November.

Dates for pre-season testing will be released in due course, while details on the launch event for 2026 are still to come.

Having been hosted in Bangkok this year, MotoGP says a new city will stage the event in 2026.