The new MotoGP weekend format for 2027 has generated mixed opinions among riders. While Francesco Bagnaia and Luca Marini believe the changes will promote the championship, Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez warn of an increase in stress and risk for the riders.
The introduction of this new format was the main topic of conversation among riders before the Indonesian Grand Prix, a day after MotoGP announced a series of modifications to the calendar that will be implemented next season.
The most significant change is the incorporation of a qualifying session dedicated to the sprint race. Most riders agree that the new format will increase their workload and stress, although opinions on the changes vary considerably.
Bagnaia, one of the most influential voices in the paddock and one of the few riders who regularly attends safety commission meetings, once again pointed out the low attendance at these meetings as a factor that hinders influence over decisions. ‘If instead of four there were 20 riders, we could have influenced the decision. But with so few, it is very difficult,’ said Bagnaia, who was one of the few riders to welcome the changes. ‘I like it; I think it’s good. I think it’s an improvement, although I don’t like that the Sunday warm-up is going away. It would have been positive to keep it.’
The two-time world champion added that riders had long requested two qualifying sessions since the introduction of sprint races. ‘We had always asked for two qualifying sessions. Two starts, not just one, so for me, it’s fine,’ he said.
Acosta, however, offered a very different assessment of the changes and questioned whether riders had enough voice in the decision. ‘It doesn’t matter what we think, we haven’t been given an option. It has been imposed on us just because,’ said the KTM rider.
‘If you take the list of riders on the grid, try to find four who haven’t been injured all year. There are few, very few that haven’t had some kind of injury.
‘I don’t know if eliminating the warm-up when you’ve had a crash on Saturday is a good idea; I don’t know if putting 22 riders in the same 15-minute qualifying session is a good idea.
‘We already have enough sessions in which we take many risks, so adding another one, and keeping all the sprints, seems excessive to me. I think we should relax a bit on this topic because the sporting careers of the riders are becoming shorter and shorter.’
Acosta also attributed his absence from safety commission meetings to the increasingly chaotic agenda. ‘I don’t go because there’s no time. We have more and more things and more stress, and I think we should do the opposite; stop a bit and think that the rider needs to calm down, because if not’ – pointing to his head – ‘we are not doing well.’
For Acosta, a solution would be to reduce the number of sprint races, with 11 scheduled for 2027, taking inspiration from Formula 1, which is also introducing two qualifying sessions at selected events. ‘We could have half the sprints [11], because we all know which circuits have show, and which do not,’ he commented, referring to the quality of the action on Saturday.
Alex Marquez, for his part, was equally critical of the process that led to the changes, arguing that teams played an important role in their introduction.
‘The decision has been made between the championship and the teams; the riders have not participated. You accept this because it is what it is. But many more moments of risk are presented during the weekend. They demand more from us. It’s the new championship, and either you accept it or you leave,’ said the Gresini rider.
‘I don’t like it, because in the end there are 22 races, 22 sprints and two qualifying sessions per weekend. We were already not in agreement with having to race so many races, and we had always wanted to reduce the number of sprints to half, or less. But nothing will change, no matter how much they complain.’
Fabio Quartararo also expressed dissatisfaction with some aspects of the new format. The Frenchman, who will move from Yamaha to Honda next season, has not yet tested the new 850cc bike models or the Pirelli tires that will be introduced in 2027. ‘With new bikes and new tires, adding extra minutes isn’t appropriate. If we want to copy F1, for example, we could see how many minutes they spend on the track. They don’t run all the time, like we do now,’ Quartararo commented.
‘If we add, say, 30 more minutes, we will take things more slowly. I think it would be good to have an hour, especially in FP2, which will be 30 minutes.
‘Anyway, it will be the same for everyone, so for me, it’s not a problem to have one more qualifying session.’
Unlike Bagnaia, Quartararo said he was not particularly concerned about the elimination of the Sunday warm-up. ‘I don’t care. Others do.’
Marini was one of the riders who attended the safety commission meeting where Ezpeleta explained the new format, and he was more optimistic about the changes. ‘It’s a proposal from the teams to improve the show and try to gain popularity. And I think that, in the end, it can be a positive change,’ said the Honda rider.
‘Having two qualifying sessions is something we had asked for since the sprint race was introduced into the format. So it’s quite interesting.
‘I feel like we are doing the right things so that MotoGP can grow a lot. I hope that fans also enjoy it and understand that this motorsport is the best in the world.’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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