The structure of a MotoGP™ race weekend throughout the 22-Grand Prix season is consistent in terms of track sessions and timings, with practices on Fridays, qualifying and the MotoGP Sprint on Saturdays and the feature-length race on Sundays.
In this latest in-depth guide to the most exciting sport on earth, we will explore a comprehensive breakdown of what a typical MotoGP™ race weekend looks like, from the first Friday morning free practice to the riders taking the chequered flag at the end of Sunday’s main MotoGP race day.
For fans watching Grands Prix, there are around nine and half hours of track action to enjoy throughout a MotoGP race weekend across the MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes. If a junior development series in the Road to MotoGP™ program, such as the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, coincides with a Grand Prix, then there is even more track action to take in.
Beyond the track, there is plenty more which goes on during a MotoGP race weekend, including press conferences, rider debriefs with their crews, crucial team meetings, MotoGP™ Safety Commission meetings and other important behind-the-scenes activities.
An Introduction to a MotoGP™ Race Weekend
The work for everyone involved in the championship starts well before the first track sessions on Fridays, with the teams aiming to arrive and set-up their pit boxes (garages) and hospitality units from the preceding Tuesday onwards.
Wednesday pre-Grand Prix is another set-up and preparation day for the teams, riders and World Championship organisers. Thursday often sees local media events, meet-and-greet activities with fans and without fail the 4pm Pre-Event Press Conference.
At that Thursday press conference, the stars of MotoGP™, such as Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Fabio Quartararo and Marco Bezzecchi, gather to face the world’s motorsport media – as the big storylines evolve and the pre-GP tension mounts.
This is a typical MotoGP weekend schedule:
Thursday
4pm – Pre-Event Press Conference
Friday
9am – Moto3™: 35-minute session – Free Practice 1
9.50am – Moto2™: 40-minute session – Free Practice 1
10.45am – MotoGP™: 45-minute session – Free Practice 1
1.15pm – Moto3™: 35-minute session timed for entry into Qualifying 2 – Practice
2.05pm – Moto2™: 40-minute session timed for entry into Qualifying 2 – Practice
3pm – MotoGP™: 60-minute session timed for entry into Qualifying 2 – Practice
Saturday
8.40am – Moto3™: 30-minute session – Free Practice 2
9.25am – Moto2™: 30-minute session – Free Practice 2
10.10am – MotoGP™: 30-minute session – Free Practice 2
10.50am – MotoGP™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 1
11.15am – MotoGP™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 2
12.45pm – Moto3™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 1
1.10pm – Moto3™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 2
1.40pm – Moto2™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 1
2.05pm – Moto2™: 15-minute session – Qualifying Nr. 2
3pm – MotoGP™: Tissot Sprint
Sunday
9.40am – MotoGP™: 10-minute session – Warm Up
10am – MotoGP™: 40-minute rider parade
11am – Moto3™ Race
12.15pm – Moto2™ Race
2pm – MotoGP™ Grand Prix (Race)
3.45pm – MotoGP™ Sunday Press Conference
When the engines fire up on Friday morning, it is straight into Free Practice 1, which is already an important session.
For some riders, it might be their first time at a new track, whilst for others it might be their first time with their current team or bike on the circuit in question. It is also a chance for the riders and their teams to understand the track conditions and analyse any adjustments that may need to be made to their bike set-up before Friday afternoon Practice.
That session after lunch on the opening day of action at a Grand Prix is crucial as the top 10 riders from the Friday afternoon Practice (e.g. the 10 riders who register the fastest lap times in that session) go straight into Q2 on Saturdays.
On Friday evenings, MotoGP Safety Commission meetings take place, with officials and riders gathering to discuss any matters relating to safety at the Grand Prix venue.
The action heats up on Saturdays
On the Saturday mornings of MotoGP™ race weekends, there are 30-minute practice sessions (Free Practice 2) for all three classes, before qualifying. The riders who were not quick enough in Friday afternoon Practice to make it automatically into Q2 must participate in Q1, with two more spots available to make it through to Q2. (In Moto2 and Moto3, four Q2 spots are available for the fastest riders in Q1, joining the 14 already confirmed through their result in Friday Practice).
MotoGP Q1 therefore already dictates the grid positions from 13th backwards, whilst in Q2, pole position (the top spot on the grid for the MotoGP Sprint and Sunday race) is contested, along with the rest of the positions on the front four rows of the grid.
The MotoGP Sprint became part of the MotoGP race weekend from the beginning of the 2023 season. In this quickfire Saturday afternoon showdown, the riders cover approximately half the distance of a full Sunday Grand Prix. The Sprint has a typical duration of around 20 minutes, with the first nine riders to finish being awarded points, at approximately half the value of those earned in the Grand Prix race on Sunday.
Any given Sunday in MotoGP™: business time
Ahead of the MotoGP race on Sunday, which traditionally takes place at 2pm local time, there is a 10-minute Sunday morning Warm Up session, before the Moto3™ race at 11am and the Moto2™ race just after midday.
The spectacular climax of the Grand Prix is a feature-length MotoGP™ Sunday race, which typically lasts around 40 minutes. The winner of the Grand Prix takes 25 points, with the top 15 finishers all scoring points towards the World Championship standings. Click here for a full guide on how the point scoring system works in MotoGP™.
Post-Race: Celebrations and Wrap-Up
At the end of the MotoGP™ race the chequered flag is waved, with the winning rider and the riders in second and third place celebrating and waving to the fans on the warm-down lap. This lap gives the riders a chance to acknowledge the support from the huge crowds around the circuit before they head back to pit lane.
The race winner and fellow podium finishers then head to parc ferme – a special cordoned off area in the pit lane – where they can congratulate each other, celebrate with their team and family members and begin their post-race media interviews live on television, giving their immediate reactions to the race result.
After that, it’s on to the podium for more celebrations, the presentation of the Grand Prix winner’s trophy and the winner’s national anthem, before the champagne bottles are popped and sprayed wildly over anyone who is within range!
The Sunday afternoon press conference sees the top three finishers in the Grand Prix speak with the gathered media, whilst all the individual riders also each speak with journalists in ‘scrums’, usually hosted in the circuit’s media centre.
Behind the Scenes of a MotoGP™ Race Weekend
Away from the track, a Grand Prix weekend buzzes with activity throughout the ‘paddock’. This is the championship’s backstage, where riders, teams, sponsors, officials, media and selected guests interact in a lively, colourful environment.
In the exclusive MotoGP VIP Village, guests enjoy fine dining, entertainment and behind-the-scenes access, often including pit lane walks and rider appearances.
At certain Grands Prix, the official charity of MotoGP - Two Wheels for Life – are present, organising live auctions of signed memorabilia, given away to lucky bidding fans by the MotoGP™ riders themselves.
Throughout the paddock, manufacturers, suppliers and sponsors host networking receptions and meetings in hospitality suites, strengthening partnerships and building new business opportunities.
Rider fan clubs organise gatherings and there are autograph sessions and rider parades, while fan zones at the circuits provide interactive experiences and live entertainment for the passionate crowds of millions of MotoGP™ fans across the globe.
Meanwhile, tucked away in their pit boxes and trucks, the teams work tirelessly in technical briefings, riders and engineers review data, crew chiefs refine their strategy and the dedicated and highly skilled MotoGP™ mechanics prepare machinery for each session.
On Sunday nights, they pack everything away in a remarkably efficient and synchronised manner, ready to move on to the next circuit and do it all again at the next Grand Prix on the calendar.
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