Pecco Bagnaia supports MotoGP’s planned 2027 format, but wants one element added back: Sunday warm-up. The schedule will separate the sessions that establish the two race grids, with Sprint qualifying set for Friday afternoon and Saturday qualifying deciding the Grand Prix starting order. The Sprint and Sunday race will therefore begin with different grids rather than sharing one starting arrangement.

Bagnaia said he was one of only four riders at the Safety Commission meeting in Motegi where the changes were discussed. In his account, all four accepted the new direction while asking for warm-up to be included. That addition still needed discussion with the teams. Bagnaia had previously proposed using Sprint lap times to establish the Grand Prix grid, but the format being introduced will use two separate qualifying processes instead.

For Bagnaia, warm-up would serve a practical purpose rather than simply adding another session. A rider who crashes in the Sprint may need a few Sunday laps to confirm that he is fit and ready to race. Preparation will also become more demanding in the 850cc and Pirelli era, with new motorcycles, less time available to work on track and more time attacks. Bagnaia is set to leave Ducati for Aprilia as that new era begins.