TIME SCHEDULE

Check out the provisonal schedule and plan your trip to the 2026 Grand Prix of the Americas at the COTA.

General information about the MotoGP Grand Prix schedule

Since 2023, MotoGP has been using a new racing format including Saturday's sprint.

Friday
The weekend kicks off on Friday with the first on-track action, consisting of two practice sessions for each class, now named P1 and P2. The results from these sessions determine which riders advance directly to Q2 in the premier class, and which ones will have to compete in Q1.

Saturday
In the morning, the MotoGP qualifying begins, following a 30-minute Free Practice session. The qualifying results set the starting grid for both the MotoGP Sprint and Sunday’s main race.

In the afternoon, the MotoGP Sprint race starts.

• Race Format: The Sprint race is about half the distance of Sunday’s full race. For instance, if Sunday’s race is 24 laps, the Sprint will be 12 laps.
• This shorter format ensures high-intensity racing from the start, as riders push hard for positions.
• Points are awarded differently from the main race: the winner takes 12 points. Points awarded down to 1 point for the top nine finishers.

Sunday
In the morning, the MotoGP riders have a 10-minute session for final adjustments before the race.

11:00 AM: Moto3 race starts.
12:15 PM: Moto2 race starts.
2:00 PM: MotoGP main race begins.