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Through the 2026 season, MotoGP does not use a separate qualifying session for the Saturday Sprint: Friday’s Q1 and Q2 determine the starting grid for both the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. The Sprint is a points-paying race, not a qualifying session, and its result does not change Sunday’s grid. From 2027, a separate Friday Sprint qualifying session will set the Sprint grid, while Grand Prix qualifying sets the Sunday grid.

How MotoGP qualifying works through 2026

One qualifying process sets the starting order for both races. Friday afternoon Practice determines who goes straight to Q2 and who must try to advance through Q1.

  1. Friday Practice: The 10 fastest riders go directly to Q2. The others must contest Q1.
  2. Q1: This 15-minute session gives its two fastest riders a place in Q2. The remaining riders are placed on the grid according to their Q1 results, with the highest-placed non-advancers starting 13th.
  3. Q2: Also 15 minutes long, Q2 includes the 10 direct qualifiers and the two riders who advanced from Q1. It determines the first 12 grid positions, including pole position.
  4. One grid for both races: The qualifying order is used for Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. A lap time in qualifying determines a starting position; it is not a race finishing position. MotoGP’s standard grid is arranged in rows of three.

MotoGP explains the qualifying pathway in its qualifying guide; its glossary describes key grid and racing terms.

How the Sprint differs from the Sunday Grand Prix

Both are championship races, but the Sprint is shorter and awards points to fewer finishers. MotoGP describes the Sprint distance as approximately 50% of the Grand Prix distance; the precise lap count varies by circuit. The Sunday race covers the full scheduled Grand Prix distance.

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Feature Saturday Sprint Sunday Grand Prix
When Saturday Sunday
Distance Approximately half the Grand Prix distance; lap count varies by circuit Full Grand Prix distance
Grid through 2026 Set by the shared Q1/Q2 result Set by the same Q1/Q2 result
Points Top nine: 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points from first to ninth Top 15: 25, 20, 16, 13, then 11 through 1 point for fifth to 15th
Effect on the other race’s grid Does not change Sunday’s starting order Starts from the qualifying grid, subject to applicable penalties or official changes

The points and approximate distance are from MotoGP’s Sprint format explainer. For historical context only, that explainer reports an average Sunday MotoGP race distance of 114.7 km in the 2024 season; it is not a distance for every event or an average for another season.

Does the Sprint determine the Sunday starting grid?

No. Through 2026, Sunday’s grid comes from the same Q1/Q2 qualifying result as Saturday’s Sprint. A rider’s Sprint finish can earn championship points, but it does not promote or demote that rider for the Grand Prix. MotoGP’s announcement of Sprint races at every Grand Prix from 2023 likewise describes the Sprint as a separate race, not a grid-setting session.

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What changes in 2027

MotoGP announced on 7 October 2026 that the weekend format will introduce separate qualifying sessions and separate grids. The term “Sprint qualifying” will then refer to an actual session for the Sprint, unlike the shared Q1/Q2 system used through 2026.

Day Announced session sequence Grid determined
Friday FP1 (45 minutes), FP2 (30 minutes), then Sprint qualifying (15 minutes) for all riders Saturday Sprint
Saturday FP3 (20 minutes), then Grand Prix Q1 for all riders and Grand Prix Q2 for the top 12 from Q1 Sunday Grand Prix

These details reflect MotoGP’s 7 October 2026 format announcement, which says it reflects Grand Prix Commission decisions. For final regulatory wording, consult the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations for the applicable season; the announcement alone should not be read as specifying details beyond the schedule and grid arrangements it states.

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