Reports claim MotoGP set to copy F1 and introduce a sprint qualifying

MotoGP could be set to introduce qualifying sessions for its sprint races from 2027, in a move that would ape Formula 1’s format.

According to Motorsport, a proposal to introduce separate qualifying sessions to decide the grid for the sprint races has been tabled by MotoGP to manufacturers and teams.

MotoGP adopted sprint races in 2023, though it diverged from F1’s model by holding them at every race on the calendar, instead of select events.

F1 will up its number of sprint races in 2027 to 10, but this is still 12 shy of MotoGP’s total for a campaign.

Currently, the weekend format for MotoGP is as follows:

Friday

FP1 - 45 minutes

Practice - 60 minutes, decides top 10 riders advancing directly to Q2

Saturday

FP2 - 30 minutes

Q1 - 15 minutes (top two go to Q2, grid positions from 13th to last finalised)

Q2 - 15 minutes (decides top 12 on the grid)

Sprint - half distance of main race

Sunday

Warm-up - 10-minutes

Grand Prix - full-distance race

Qualifying decides the grid for both races on a grand prix weekend.

However, the new proposal would see the sprint grid set by a separate qualifying session to that which decides the order for the grand prix.

How the format will be altered remains to be seen, with riders already feeling like their weekends are too demanding between track sessions, sponsor activations and media duties.

The introduction of a sprint qualifying into the regulations will have to pass through the official ratification by the Grand Prix Commission.

Therefore, it’s not a given that this will come into force. Earlier this year, MotoGP looked set to adopt a one-bike rule from next season, only for that proposal to collapse.

It's not clear how much consultation the riders have had on this matter. In 2022 at the Austrian Grand Prix, they found out through the media that MotoGP had greenlit the introduction of sprints.