MotoGP has officially announced a new weekend format that will take effect next year, introducing a dedicated sprint‑race qualifying session elected by the teams at the Red Bull Ring during the Austrian Grand Prix.
Separate Sprint Qualifying on Friday
The revised schedule replaces Friday’s current practice slot with an additional session block. On Friday morning a 45‑minute free practice (FP1) will be followed by a 30‑minute session (FP2), before a 15‑minute sprint‑specific qualifying (SQ) that will set the layout for the Saturday afternoon sprint race.
Saturday’s Dual‑Stage Qualifiers and Race Order
Saturday begins with a 20‑minute third free practice (FP3). Following that, a combined 30‑minute qualifying window will split into Q1 and Q2: 15 minutes each. The 12 fastest riders from this block will secure the grid for the main 500‑km race. The sprint race, now scheduled for Saturday afternoon, will use the grid prescribed by the Friday sprint qualifying.
Sunday Adjustments and Pitlane Access
Sunday mornings will forgo the traditional warm‑up, allowing teams to engage in promotional duties. The pit lane is slated to open for a ten‑minute window, granting riders the opportunity to log laps through the pit lane—an activity that was previously unavailable. The season‑long, full‑length race will run in the late afternoon, carrying the same status as before.
| Day | Session | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | FP1 | 45 min |
| Friday | FP2 | 30 min |
| Friday | Sprint Qualifying (SQ) | 15 min |
| Saturday | FP3 | 20 min |
| Saturday | Q1 + Q2 | 30 min (15 min each) |
| Saturday | Sprint Race | — |
| Sunday | No Warm‑up | — |
| Sunday | Main Race | — |
With the sprint race now secured by a Friday‑provided grid, teams and riders will experience a tighter, more segmented weekend—yet the core competitive flow remains intact as MotoGP transitions into this streamlined structure for 2027.
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