Davide Brivio has put forward a notable tweak to MotoGP’s weekend format: split qualifying. The Trackhouse team principal wants qualifying to be held in two separate sessions — one to set the grid for Saturday’s sprint and a different one to determine the starting order for Sunday’s grand prix. The idea, sparked after Valencia, aims to stop a single Friday session from shaping both races.
Why split qualifying? Brivio’s gripe is straightforward. At the moment, Friday’s running carries outsized influence: the fastest 10 riders effectively skip Q1 and leap into Q2, which then sets grids for the sprint and the main race. That single cutoff can make one bad session ruin a rider’s weekend. By staging distinct qualifiers, teams and riders would get a genuine second chance — a sprint grid decided independently from Sunday’s showdown — and could approach each session with different priorities.
How it would work (and why some like it) The proposal borrows from Formula 1’s sprint weekends: an early session determines the sprint grid, then a later one sets the grand prix line-up. Supporters say this would protect the main event from Friday mishaps, create clearer tactical choices for teams, and produce two separate high-stakes moments for fans and broadcasters. Riders could choose to go all-out for Saturday or conserve for Sunday, which would add new strategic layers — to tyres, electronics and setup — across the weekend.
Practical hurdles and paddock reaction Not everyone is sold. Changing the timetable means rejigging track time, parc fermé rules, tyre allocations and broadcast schedules. Teams warn about extra costs, more intense weekends for crew and tighter calendars, while promoters and rights holders will want to be certain any gains in fairness and spectacle justify the operational headaches. Conversations are already underway among teams, Dorna and broadcasters; a consensus won’t come quickly.
Trackhouse’s season and wider plans Trackhouse finished seventh in its sophomore MotoGP season, a steady progression highlighted by Raul Fernandez’s win at Phillip Island and another podium at Valencia. The team is heading into pre-season tests in Buriram, where collected data will drive both short-term setup tweaks and longer-term development choices.
Brivio has signalled the team intends to remain a satellite Aprilia outfit beyond, prioritising continuity with factory support to stabilise development. That steady relationship, Trackhouse believes, will help convert testing gains into on-track performance and guide upgrade decisions through the season.
What’s next If split qualifying moves beyond discussion to trial or rule proposals, organisers will likely run simulations or pilot events to measure competitive impact, viewer engagement and logistical cost. For now, Brivio’s idea has amplified a growing debate: should MotoGP protect Sunday’s main event from a single, decisive Friday session — and in doing so, add a fresh competitive rhythm to race weekends? The paddock will be watching and weighing the trade-offs.