MotoGP responds to criticism over lack of rider input on 2027 format change

MotoGP says it had been encouraging teams to consult their riders over the 2027 weekend format, insisting it remains open to feedback about the sporting regulations.

The championship has received a mixed response to the raft of changes it announced for next season, including the introduction of a second qualifying for sprint races and the removal of the Sunday warm-up.

Some of the grid’s biggest stars also suggested they had no role to play in the decision-making process, while also voicing concerns that the new format could increase the risk of injuries.

KTM rider Pedro Acosta said “it doesn’t matter what we think, they haven’t given us a choice”, while reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez went further in Thursday’s press conference, saying “teams and the organisation decide, so, you take it or you leave.”

MotoGP has always maintained that the change in format came was initiated by teams and manufacturers themselves, who wanted to reduce the total track time and improve the spectacle.

Speaking to the media in a special interview at Mandalika on Friday, MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta said riders were welcome to speak directly to MotoGP SEG and share their views on the new format, particularly through the Safety Commission meetings on Fridays.

However, he stressed that MotoGP had already been proactive in asking teams to gather feedback from their riders, although the level of communication within each team had varied.

“You'd have to ask the teams about how much [involved] riders are," Ezpeleta said. We open our doors every Friday afternoon for the riders. Some of them show up and we explain our ideas and we walk them through the reasoning. 

“We push or we really ask the teams to speak to the riders, and there's been sort of mixed levels of that during the last couple of GPs.

“To be honest, with so many riders changing teams, many teams have had sort of different positions in terms of how they brought the riders in.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Deputy CEO

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

Ezpeleta stressed that MotoGP had made it clear to teams that any changes should be introduced only after they had consulted their riders on the matter.

“MotoGP's door is more open than any other sport in the world. There is sort of the governance point of the Grand Prix Commission who changes the rules, and there's the input from IRTA.

“We're very clear with the teams that we should only make these changes once they've spoken to the riders and once they've brought them in. I think it's a task of the riders, of the teams to do.”

When told teams might filter riders’ feedback to suit their own vested interests, Ezpeleta added: “Or the other way around.

“Many of the decisions, like to understand how much warm-up is necessary to check the bikes' safety, the teams are in a better position; the riders will have an element of that, of course.

“We don't have any contracts with the riders. We have contracts with the teams. They [riders] are part of the governance of the championship.

“By no means are we saying that the riders shouldn't be involved. Our door has always been open and there's been a safety commission for a very long time. In that, we always comment on every change that we want to make.”

Ezpeleta responds to safety concerns

With a second qualifying session being introduced and all 22 riders sharing the track in each session, some riders fear they will have to take greater risks during race weekends, potentially leaving them more vulnerable to injury. 

In response, Ezpeleta argued that changes to Friday’s schedule - with the second practice session no longer determining automatic Q2 entries - would ensure riders will not need to make additional low-fuel runs at qualifying pace.

He also explained that MotoGP will reduce the tyre allocation for qualifying in 2027, leaving riders with less incentive to push over the limit and crash.

“There were a number of proposals or iterations in which the target was sort of to maintain or not to increase the level of risk versus today,” he said.

“It's the same number of time attacks, which is basically the amount of time that they're under pressure.

“The Friday afternoon [session] is completely free. So, even sort of under those circumstances, whether it's changing weather, you wouldn't have to push multiple times.

“There's going to be a big limitation on the number of tyres that the riders are able to use in those qualification sessions. Although this is a strategy, and the teams of riders will be free to sort of use it as they wish, when you're limited in the number of tyres, you actually should be pushing less because if you make a mistake, you are starting from the back.

“Now, the riders are able to use so many tyres that after crashing, you have a second chance, which you won't have in the future.

“We've done many things this year, with lengthening the grid, making the grid wider, removing the holeshot devices.

“Unfortunately, injury is a part of this sport, both inside the paddock and outside.
We've seen a lot of injuries outside the GPs in the last couple of years also."

Ezpeleta added that MotoGP is “open to change and improve the schedule”, amid talks that the series could reinstate the warm-up next year.