Bagnaia (Ducati) on the new weekend format: “We must have a warm-up!”

On the Wednesday before the Indonesian Grand Prix, MotoGP unveiled the new weekend format, which will come into effect from the 2027 season. The most significant change is the introduction of a separate sprint qualifying session, to be held on Friday afternoon. In addition, the total time riders spend on the track will be reduced. In future, there will no longer be a MotoGP warm-up on Sunday. However, ahead of the premier class Grand Prix, the pit lane will be opened for ten minutes so that the riders can complete several formation laps immediately before the start.

On Thursday in Mandalika, Ducati factory rider Pecco Bagnaia commented on the new format. “I like it and I think it’s an improvement. But we need to have a warm-up,” said the Italian. “We can’t race without having done a few laps beforehand. Even if you crash in the sprint race, you have to be able to get back out safely and be ready (for the Grand Prix, ed.). That’s why the warm-up is important.”

“We’ll have new tyres and new motorbikes next year. And we’ll have less time to work on the bikes, but more time to chase lap times,” Bagnaia continued. “It will be important to adapt well to the new format, but the warm-up is very helpful for me. Apart from that, it’s an improvement. We’ve always asked for a second qualifying session. So for me, it works well.”

Bagnaia on the MotoGP warm-up: “It can still be changed”

Did Bagnaia have the opportunity to express his opinion, particularly on the warm-up? “Four riders were present at the Safety Commission meeting in Japan – as always,” smiled the two-time MotoGP World Champion. “We discussed the new format and everything was clear. We understood why they’d made that decision. We simply asked them to bring the warm-up back. They now need to discuss this with the teams. But I think it’s something that can still be changed.”

Will the new format make race weekends more stressful for the riders? “No. It’s generally more difficult for us when we have to focus on the races. There’ll be less time for that. But for me, it makes no difference,” said Pecco Bagnaia.

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09.10.2026 - 02:55