Bagnaia Splits the Riders’ Camp Over the 2027 MotoGP Format: “But a Change Is Needed”

The new 2027 MotoGP format has split the paddock, but Pecco Bagnaia is backing the reform. The Ducati rider, who will move to Aprilia next year for the start of the 850cc and Pirelli era, considers it a step forward. With one request: bring back Sunday morning warm-up.

This is a stance that goes against many of his fellow riders. Marc Marquez responded sharply, arguing that riders "must keep quiet" because they had no say in the matter, while Pedro Acosta rejected the new weekend format, as we reported in Pedro Acosta rejects the 2027 MotoGP format: "We are not racing cars".

MotoGP will introduce a qualifying session dedicated to the Sprint on Friday afternoon, while Saturday's qualifying will determine the Grand Prix grid. The warm-up session as we know it today is disappearing. Bagnaia had previously suggested using the Sprint lap times to set the grid for the feature race, but the decision went in another direction.

For Bagnaia, the Sunday session is not a minor detail. With new tyres, new bikes and less track time to work with, giving it up risks leaving riders unprepared, especially after a Saturday crash: "Even in the event of a crash in the Sprint, we need to be safe and ready, and having Warm-Up is a positive thing", reports Motosan.

The strongest point concerns Japan's Safety Commission, where the format was discussed. Bagnaia says that only four riders were at the table. The discussion was held with Carlos Ezpeleta himself.

Asked whether the discussion would have been more effective with all the riders present, the answer was clear: "Definitely yes." The possibility of influencing certain aspects was limited. The format is already official, but for Bagnaia the battle over warm-up remains open: "We simply asked for Warm-Up to be added. They were supposed to discuss it with the teams, but I think it can still be done." The ball is now in the teams' court.

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