MotoGP plans two qualifying sessions at every race weekend. Pedro Acosta led Friday practice before Austria’s current Q1 and Q2 format resumes Saturday.
MotoGP plans to introduce two qualifying sessions at every race weekend, with the proposed format change emerging Friday, September 18, during the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
The plan mirrors a structure familiar from Formula 1, though the available information did not confirm an implementation date or the detailed session format. MotoGP’s current Austrian schedule already features Q1 and Q2 on Saturday, with earlier practice results determining entry into those sessions.
The proposal is a planned change, not a regulation already in force. The existing format stays in place for Round 15 of the 2026 season, held from September 18 through September 20.
A new path into qualifying
The reported plan calls for two qualifying sessions at each Grand Prix weekend. Further operational details were not specified, including how riders would progress and whether practice would continue to determine direct access to a later session.
Under the Austrian timetable, Free Practice 2 starts at 10:10 on Saturday, September 19. Q1 follows at 10:50, while Q2 is set for 11:15. The Sprint begins at 15:00.
That schedule provides the paddock with a current reference for any future changes. Under the existing system, the field is divided between Q1 and Q2, with the leading riders from the earlier timed practice session advancing directly to Q2.
No formal regulation amendment covering the proposed two-session plan appeared in the material published on September 18.
Acosta controls Friday in Austria
The format news emerged as Pedro Acosta led the opening day at KTM’s home round. He topped FP1 on Friday morning ahead of replacement rider Pol Espargaro, completing a KTM 1-2. Jorge Martin finished third.
Acosta also led Practice and set the fastest race pace.
Espargaro is replacing the injured Maverick Viñales at Tech3. Ai Ogura was cleared to continue the weekend after taking part in FP1. Joan Mir is absent after medical tests detected altered blood parameters, and Takaaki Nakagami has taken his place.
Friday’s results put Acosta at the front before Saturday’s decisive sessions. The planned qualifying revision remains separate from the format in use this weekend.
Tied championship reaches Round 15
Any qualifying change will affect a championship where grid position already has immediate consequences on Saturday and Sunday. After 14 rounds, Marc Marquez and Martin are tied on 274 points. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 241.
Eight rounds remain.
Marquez moved to the top of the standings after erasing a 102-point deficit over seven rounds. His San Marino Grand Prix victory was his 78th in MotoGP, coming after Bezzecchi crashed on Lap 1. Marquez earned 25 points, Alex Marquez scored 20 and Acosta collected 16.
Aprilia Racing tops the listed team standings with 515 points. Ducati Team has 417, and Trackhouse Racing Team holds 402.
Those numbers define the immediate competition in Austria, but they do not change the proposal’s status. It is a planned future revision and does not form part of this weekend’s sporting procedure.
Saturday retains the established format
The Red Bull Ring will run the current system on September 19. After Free Practice 2, riders outside the direct Q2 positions will enter Q1 at 10:50. Q2 will then determine the leading grid places from 11:15.
The Sprint starts at 15:00. Sunday’s Grand Prix is scheduled for 14:00 on September 20.
The next listed rounds supply three further dates that would need updated schedules if the qualifying format changes. The Japanese Grand Prix takes place from October 2 through October 4, Indonesia follows from October 9 through October 11, and Australia is scheduled for October 23 through October 25.
MotoGP’s next concrete step
The proposal now needs the detailed provisions required to become a working race-weekend procedure. Session length and progression rules must be set, along with the relationship between qualifying and practice. None of those details were confirmed in the initial report.
In Austria, attention returns to the current format and Acosta’s Friday pace. Free Practice 2 begins Saturday at 10:10, followed by Q1 at 10:50 and Q2 at 11:15 before the Sprint starts at 15:00.
