How Does MotoGP™ Qualifying Work? – The Complete Guide

The MotoGP™ qualifying format includes pulsating Q1 & Q2 sessions in which the planet’s best riders battle for grid positions, vital for a chance of a race victory!

MotoGP™ qualifying is one of the most exciting and important elements of the Grand Prix weekend, determining the starting grid for the race and impacting significantly on the riders’ chances of victory.

When the riders begin their on-track activity on a Friday they are already working with their teams towards the goal of qualifying well on Saturday, in order to increase their options for a strong result in the Saturday afternoon MotoGP™ Sprint and Sunday full-length feature race.

This ultimate guide to MotoGP™ Qualifying provides comprehensive details of the qualifying process at Grands Prix, from Practice sessions to MotoGP™ Q1 and Q2.

Maverick Viñales, Aprilia Racing, Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia
Maverick Viñales, Aprilia Racing, Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia

We will examine how qualifying works in the premier class, covering the key rules, the structure of qualifying sessions and their significance in determining each rider’s starting position on the grid for races.

The ‘grid’ refers to the rows on which the MotoGP™ riders line up before the Sprint and race, from ‘pole’ (first position) back to 22nd position. Logically the closer the rider is to the front of the grid, the better their chances are of getting into a good position in the early running and therefore increasing their likelihood of winning.

Practice sessions and their role in qualifying

At each Grand Prix on the MotoGP™ calendar the action commences on a Friday morning with a 45-minute Free Practice 1 (FP1) session, followed by a 60-minute Practice session on Friday afternoon.

Both sessions are important for the riders, as they get their bikes set-up well for the specifics of the track, collect data for their teams to analyse and adjust to the conditions of the circuit.

 

Fabio Quartararo, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, Barcelona MotoGP™ Official Test
Fabio Quartararo, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, Barcelona MotoGP™ Official Test

However, in the hour-long Friday afternoon Practice the heat is already on for the riders as it is timed for automatic entry into Qualifying 2 (Q2), for the fastest 10 riders in the session. Those riders who are not in the top 10 in Friday afternoon Practice go into Qualifying 1 (Q1), which gives them another shot at making it into Q2.

On Saturday morning there is another 30-minute session, Free Practice 2 (FP2), in which the riders prepare for qualifying, which follows shortly after.  

 How MotoGP™ qualifying works: Q1 and Q2 explained

The MotoGP™ Qualifying format includes two 15-minute sessions, Q1 and Q2. Here’s what happens in Q1 and how the session works:

  • Riders who did not conclude Friday afternoon Practice in the top 10 compete in Q1 for a place in Q2.
  • The fastest two Q1 riders go through to Q2.
  • The rider finishing in third place in Q1 qualifies for the MotoGP™ Sprint and Sunday race in 13th place on the grid.
  • The fourth-placed Q1 rider qualifies 14th on the grid.
  • The rest of the riders on the Q1 timesheet take their relevant places on the grid, from 15th downwards respectively.

The two fastest riders in Q1 then go into Q2, where pole position (first place on the grid) and the other top 12 MotoGP™ grid positions are to be contested. It’s another frantic 15-minute session with the riders going all out to record their fastest possible laps, usually using new, ‘soft’ slick tyres to boost their chances of getting pole. 

This is how the Q2 session shapes the grid:

  • At the end of Q2 the rider with the fastest time takes pole position
  • The riders in second and third place qualify just behind, on the front row of the grid.
  • The remaining nine riders will be placed in positions four to 12, over rows 2 to 4 on the grid, depending on their respective best lap times.
MotoGP™, Race, Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona
MotoGP™, Race, Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona

Adding to the excitement of both sessions, there have been examples of riders making it through from Q1 to qualify on pole, with Luca Marini, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Francesco Bagnaia, Maverick Viñales all having done so, whilst Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin have both managed it twice.

Why qualifying is crucial in MotoGP™

Achieving a good starting position on the grid is particularly crucial in MotoGP™ as it significantly impacts a rider’s chances of securing a good result in the Saturday afternoon Sprint and Sunday afternoon race.

Starting at the front, or closer to the front of the grid, means the rider has less work to do in terms of overtaking rivals, particularly in the opening laps.

From pole position and the front row a rider has a better chance of taking the holeshot (making it to the first corner in the lead) and this in turn helps with getting and staying ahead of the chasing pack.

MotoGP™, Race, Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona
MotoGP™, Race, Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona

Overtaking is a calling card of MotoGP™ and part of what makes it the most exciting sport on earth. Starting from pole or high up the grid does not mean riders will not come under attack from others, it simply means they have an easier job of getting into the lead or leading group of the race.

Riders towards the front of the grid may also find that they can conserve their energy and tyres somewhat early in the race, compared with a rider at the back of the grid who is battling through the pack to make up places.

In the 2024 season every MotoGP™ race was won by a rider starting from the front three rows of the grid, e.g. riders starting in positions one to nine.

In 2023 there were only two MotoGP™ race wins for riders starting outside the top 10, whilst there was just one in 2022 and then you would have to go back to the 2016 season to find the previous occurrence of a rider winning from outside the starting top 10 positions.

Qualifying strategies and key considerations

There are several factors which contribute to riders qualifying well in MotoGP™. The riders and their teams work during testing, throughout the season and in free practice to ensure that they are quick over one lap and that they are consistently fast in race set-up, the latter meaning that they can maintain a consistently fast pace over several laps.

In qualifying it’s all about squeezing to the maximum to get the very fastest lap(s) the rider is capable of, whether they are working to get a good position in Q1 or in Q2. Several tactics can be employed to gain those vital fractions of a second to achieve that super quick lap time.

Riders will consider the best tyre options and the official tyre supplier of MotoGP™, Michelin, will provide them with three choices of slick specification in their tyre allocation. 

Tyre Pressure, MotoGP™
Tyre Pressure, MotoGP™

Typically, riders use new tyres of the ‘softest’ specification from their slick tyre allocations to push for the fastest possible lap time in qualifying. If the MotoGP™ qualifying sessions take place in wet conditions it’s a whole different challenge and the riders will be relying on rain tyres to set a good time.

Other tactics can include timing a fast run to perfection, depending on a changing track temperature or grip level, or timing a run to potentially follow a rival or teammate on track.

Using track position tactics to follow another rider can provide advantages in terms of references for the fastest line to take or indeed with regard to slipstreaming behind a teammate and/or competitor.

Riders can incur grid penalties (a demotion on the grid) for slow riding (waiting for a good track position), whilst exceeding the track limits (running slightly off the track) results in lap time cancelation if it’s on the green painted bits - designated as places where they could gain time. If they run off but not onto the green, that’s ok - they will have lost time anyway.

So, riders must be vigilant throughout qualifying to ensure they ride within the rules and get the best starting position possible.

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