Pedro Acosta warns MotoGP 2027 format will shorten careers
MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta has condemned the sport's 2027 format changes, warning the increased number of high-stress sessions will heighten injury risk and make rider careers shorter.
MotoGP star Pedro Acosta has issued a stark warning that the championship's planned 2027 schedule will increase rider injury risk and shorten careers. The new format, set for all 22 rounds, adds a sprint qualifying session on Fridays and eliminates the traditional Sunday warm-up, creating five high-risk sessions per weekend.
The 2027 overhaul introduces a separate sprint qualifying session on Fridays at the expense of practice time. The weekend will now consist of three practice sessions with no qualifying relevance, followed by the new sprint qualifying. Saturday will feature a revised qualifying system where all riders contest Q1, with the top twelve advancing to Q2 to set the Grand Prix grid. This leads into the sprint race and, finally, the main Grand Prix on Sunday, with the ten-minute warm-up replaced by a brief pre-race sighting lap window.
Acosta warns of shortened careers and increased injury risk
Acosta states the new format's intense sessions will make rider careers shorter. He believes the increased stress and higher injury risk are direct consequences of subjecting the grid to multiple high-risk sessions every week.
He notes riders already risk serious injury five times per weekend. With 22 race weekends, he warns this makes injuries inevitable and creates a recipe for disaster. Acosta pointed out that most riders suffer injuries during the season, stating there are not many who remain unscathed.
Acosta demands format changes to protect riders
The rider calls for reducing sprint races by half and eliminating risky sessions. He criticized the current schedule's heavy physical toll, which comes from racing pressures, injuries, and constant travel.
Acosta suggested a safer compromise would be tying sprint qualifying to Friday practice results. He condemned the planned 20-minute FP2 session in 2027 as insufficient time to prepare for a sprint distance. He also emphasized the value of the warm-up session for building rhythm and checking bike performance before the Grand Prix, a process the new format removes.
Acosta gave a grim prognosis that rider careers will become shorter and shorter if the format continues. He highlighted the fundamental physical risk, stating, "we are not racing cars." He explained that when riders crash, their bodies touch the ground rather than being protected in a cockpit. His central demand for format revision is a reduction in sprint races to roughly half the current number, calling some uncompetitive and dull.
