MotoGP plans to introduce two qualifying sessions per race weekend under a Formula 1-style format, though no launch date or detailed structure has been confirmed.
MotoGP plans to introduce two qualifying sessions at each race weekend, using a Formula 1-style format as the championship prepares another change to its Grand Prix schedule.
The plan surfaced on September 18, 2026, during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend at Spielberg. It would change how premier-class riders secure their starting positions, though no launch date or precise session structure has been confirmed.
No regulatory announcement has confirmed the change. Under the current system, Friday Practice determines direct entry into Q2, while the remaining riders contest Q1 for the final places in the pole-position session.
A second qualifying session is planned
The proposal calls for two qualifying sessions at every MotoGP weekend. The Formula 1-style description suggests a wider knockout process than the existing Q1 and Q2 setup, but no details have been released on how riders would progress.
The difference is important. MotoGP already calls its Saturday sessions Q1 and Q2, but they form two stages of a single qualifying process. Riders who miss the direct Q2 cutoff in Friday Practice must advance through Q1, while the fastest group moves directly into the pole shootout.
This would change the schedule, rather than simply rename the current sessions.
The proposal has emerged during the 2026 season, after updated MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 World Championship Regulations were published on September 15. Those regulations do not confirm the reported two-session qualifying plan, leaving the existing format in place for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Spielberg demonstrates the current system
Saturday qualifying at the Red Bull Ring delivered a close front row under the current format. Jorge Martin claimed pole position on September 19 ahead of Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta, with less than one tenth of a second covering all three riders.
Marco Bezzecchi secured fourth on the grid.
Those positions followed a weekend in which Acosta topped Friday Practice and recorded the fastest race pace. Earlier on September 18, he led Pol Espargaro in a KTM 1-2 during FP1, with Martin in third.
Conditions shifted before FP2 on Saturday morning. Marquez finished two tenths of a second ahead of Martin, with Acosta third, before the reigning champion suffered a light crash at Turn 1.
The running showed how much Friday still shapes qualifying. Practice results decide who skips Q1, turning that timed session into a key part of Saturday’s grid battle rather than a standard practice period.
Format proposal emerges amid title fight
The qualifying proposal surfaced while Martin and Marquez continued their battle for the 2026 championship. They reached the Austrian weekend tied on 274 points, with Bezzecchi third on 241.
Martin turned pole into Sprint victory on September 19 after Acosta crashed from the lead. Marquez took second, which allowed Martin to reclaim the championship lead before Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Acosta immediately took responsibility.
“I f***ed it up”.
Martin also said his Sprint pass on Marquez was not payback for their opening-lap clash. The result shifted the championship lead one day before the full-distance race, keeping qualifying position directly connected to a title fight that had been tied entering Round 15.
The teams’ standings added further context to the weekend. Before track action started in Austria, Aprilia Racing led on 515 points. Ducati Team had 417, with Trackhouse Racing Team on 402.
No implementation date has been confirmed
The available information does not confirm whether the second qualifying session will begin later in 2026, with the 2027 technical era, or during another season. There is also no indication whether Friday Practice would continue to determine access to a later stage.
Any change would require a published regulatory update. The latest regulations were issued on September 15, five days before the scheduled Austrian Grand Prix race, and the existing Q1 and Q2 process remained in use at Spielberg.
MotoGP has made several changes to weekend operations in recent seasons, including the Sprint format and revised grid procedures. The planned qualifying system would change every rider’s route to the starting grid, but the championship has not announced session lengths, advancement numbers or an implementation timetable.
Current format remains for Austria
The Austrian Grand Prix will run under the existing rules, with the race scheduled for 14:00 local time on September 20. Martin starts from pole, Marquez from second and Acosta from third, while Bezzecchi leads the second row.
After Spielberg, MotoGP is scheduled to race in Japan from October 2 to 4, Indonesia from October 9 to 11 and Australia from October 23 to 25. Unless revised regulations are published before those rounds, Friday Practice and the current Q1-Q2 qualifying route will continue to determine the grids.
