2027 pre-season test dates confirmed for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3
By Lee Seng Foo4 days ago
(Luca Gambuti/MotoGP)
MotoGP will begin preparations for its new 850cc era in Valencia this December after confirming the full testing schedule ahead of the 2027 season.
The first official running with the new machinery will take place at the traditional Valencia Test on December 1, just days after the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
Attention will then turn to Malaysia, where the Petronas Sepang International Circuit will host four consecutive days of MotoGP action from January 29 to February 1.
Factory test riders and rookies will take part in the Shakedown Test on January 29 and 30 before the full grid joins the first official pre-season test on January 31 and February 1.
The second and final official pre-season test will take place at Thailand’s Chang International Circuit on February 6 and 7, giving riders their final track time before the start of the campaign.
Moto2 and Moto3 will conduct their pre-season programmes separately at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain later that month.
Moto2 teams will begin with two days of private testing on February 16 and 17, followed by the official Moto3 test on February 18 and 19.
Moto2 will then return to the track for its official test on February 20 and 21, completing six consecutive days of running at Jerez across the two classes.
The 2027 campaign will mark the beginning of a new technical era for the premier class, with engine capacity reduced from 1000cc to 850cc and Pirelli replacing Michelin as MotoGP’s sole tyre supplier.
Sydney FC have signed highly-rated Australian defender James Overy from Manchester United on a three-year deal ahead of the 2026/27 A-League season.
The 18-year-old has made his return to Australia after spending the past two years in Manchester United's academy, where he continued his development after joining the Premier League giants in 2024.
Overy initially emerged through Perth Glory's academy and first attracted wider attention as a 15-year-old during a pre-season friendly against West Ham United in 2023.
He subsequently moved to England without making a senior A-League appearance, but will now look to establish himself in first-team football with Sydney.
"I've had an unbelievable experience at Manchester United and learned so much from being in that environment every day, but I feel this is the right time for me to take the next step and play senior football," Overy said.
The right-back has also progressed through Australia's international pathway, representing the Young Socceroos at the FIFA U20 World Cup and the Australian under-23s at this year's AFC U23 Asian Cup as well as earning him involvement with the senior national team.
Overy is Sydney's fifth permanent signing as head coach Patrick Kisnorbo continues to reshape his squad ahead of the new campaign.
The Sky Blues have also brought academy graduate Jake Hollman back to the club, signed Gabriel Popovic from Perth Glory and added two-time AFC Champions League winner Takahiro Sekine.
Watch the 2026/27 A-League season live on SPOTV NOW.
MotoGP heads to the Adriatic coast this weekend as the 2026 championship battle continues at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Jorge Martin arrives with a slender advantage over Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi, while Aprilia and Ducati are separated by only 15 points in the constructors' standings.
Ahead of the action from September 11-13, live on SPOTV NOW, here are five interesting tidbits to know about the San Marino Grand Prix.
After his sensational victory at Aragon, Marquez will relish the upcoming challenge at another circuit where he has enjoyed remarkable success.
The defending world champion has nine victories at Misano across all classes, including six in MotoGP: five San Marino Grands Prix and the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Another victory would make the Spaniard only the second rider after Jorge Lorenzo to win MotoGP races at Misano in three consecutive seasons.
Starting from pole has provided surprisingly little guarantee of victory at Misano. Since MotoGP returned to the circuit in 2007, the pole sitter has converted qualifying success into a Sunday victory only six times across 22 premier-class races, a rate of just 27.3%.
Only Casey Stoner (2007), Valentino Rossi (2009), Dani Pedrosa (2010), Maverick Vinales (2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix), Francesco Bagnaia (2021) and Jorge Martin (2023) have managed to do so.
Marquez provides another striking example. Despite his six MotoGP victories at Misano, he has taken just one premier-class pole at the circuit, which came during his rookie season in 2013. He finished second behind Jorge Lorenzo that day, meaning none of his six Misano victories have come from pole.
Ducati and Yamaha are tied on seven San Marino Grand Prix victories apiece since MotoGP returned to Misano, but the balance has shifted emphatically towards the Italian manufacturer in recent years.
Ducati have won six of the past eight editions, including five consecutively since Bagnaia began the current streak in 2021. Marquez extended that run last year after defeating Bezzecchi by just 0.568s.
Another victory would give Ducati an outright record of eight San Marino Grand Prix wins in the MotoGP era, moving the Bologna manufacturer ahead of Yamaha at the event for the first time.
Despite being based just a few hours away in Noale, Aprilia have never won a premier-class race at Misano. However, with the manufacturer enjoying a dominant 2026 campaign, that drought could finally come to an end this weekend.
Few will feel that absence more keenly than Rimini-born Bezzecchi. The local favourite took pole and won the Sprint in 2025 before Marquez denied him the Grand Prix victory by just 0.568 seconds.
Winning this year would simultaneously deliver Aprilia their first premier-class victory at Misano and strengthen Bezzecchi's championship challenge on home soil.
MotoGP meets FIBA
Bezzecchi, Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli will begin their San Marino Grand Prix preparations on a very different surface by participating in a special FIBA 3x3 basketball exhibition in Rimini.
The free event will take place at the Moab Court in Piazzale Kennedy on Wednesday, September 9. Morbidelli will lead one team against a side featuring Bezzecchi and Bagnaia, with professional FIBA 3x3 players and other guests joining the MotoGP trio.
Their basketball abilities may be less established than their braking skills, but the exhibition gives the three Italians an early opportunity to claim local bragging rights before the serious competition begins at Misano.
Marco Bezzecchi returned the favour to Kimi Antonelli by visiting the Formula One paddock at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, and once again the reunion proved to be a lucky charm.
The Aprilia MotoGP rider was at Monza over the weekend and visited Antonelli inside the Mercedes garage, three months after the F1 star made a similar trip to Mugello for the Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.
On that occasion, Antonelli watched Bezzecchi clinch a memorable home victory for Aprilia before joining the celebrations and embracing his compatriot after the race.
This time, the roles were reversed as Bezzecchi witnessed Antonelli produce one of the drives of his young career to emerge victorious despite starting 19th following an engine-related grid penalty.
The 20-year-old charged through the field before overtaking Mercedes team-mate and championship rival George Russell in the closing stages, becoming the first Italian driver to win at Monza in 60 years.
The result also extended Antonelli's championship lead over Russell to 66 points as he continues his bid to become Italy's first Formula One world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Bezzecchi was not the only Italian sporting star there to witness the historic victory.
Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner was also at Monza after being forced to miss the ongoing US Open because of a knee injury, and later congratulated Antonelli following his victory.
The weekend therefore provided another memorable chapter for a new generation of Italian sporting stars, but Bezzecchi will now turn his attention back to his own world championship challenge.
MotoGP heads to Misano next for the San Marino Grand Prix, giving the Rimini-born rider his own opportunity to deliver in front of a home crowd just two weeks after finishing third at Aragon.
Watch the 2026 San Marino Grand Prix live on SPOTV NOW.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez led the positive reaction to the newly unveiled Adelaide Grand Prix circuit ahead of its highly anticipated debut next season.
The 4.13km layout was revealed earlier this week, featuring 15 corners through the Adelaide Parklands and incorporating sections of the city's famous former Formula One circuit.
Unlike anything currently on the MotoGP calendar, riders will race among trees and close to residential areas, with the Adelaide skyline also visible in the background.
Marquez was particularly impressed by how the unique setting has been combined with the safety requirements necessary for motorcycle racing.
"It's amazing to see a bike between trees but with enough runoff area. That is important because without the runoff area, we cannot ride and I think MotoGP did an incredible job.
"Here in the back straight, you can see the skyline of Adelaide, up and down, not bad," said the Spaniard.
Safety has inevitably been one of the biggest talking points surrounding the project, with the circuit combining existing roads with purpose-built sections designed specifically for MotoGP.
Luca Marini was similarly encouraged by the amount of space and runoff shown around the circuit.
"We've discussed a lot about the safety and the runoff areas, but for now it looks that there is a lot of space and room all around the circuit," said Marini.
The surroundings will provide another unusual experience for riders accustomed to competing at permanent circuits rather than through the heart of a major city.
Toprak Razgatlioglu believes the layout will be enjoyable but admitted that seeing houses so close to the action will take some getting used to.
"I think everyone will enjoy this track. [Seeing the houses] is very strange for the riders," said the Prima Pramac Yamaha rider.
Francesco Bagnaia, meanwhile, believes the unfamiliar setting will add to the challenge, with every rider effectively starting from scratch when MotoGP arrives in Adelaide.
"It will be new for everybody [to be racing in a city]. I hope everything will be ready like in the video because it looks fantastic, so I think we can enjoy it."
The Australian Grand Prix will move from Phillip Island to Adelaide in 2027, bringing MotoGP into the heart of the South Australian capital and introducing a completely new challenge for the championship.
While the riders have only experienced the circuit virtually so far, their early reactions suggest anticipation is already building for one of the most distinctive additions to the MotoGP calendar in years.
Before Adelaide makes its debut, Marquez and the rest of the grid still have the 2026 championship to fight for during the final season of MotoGP's 1000cc era.
Watch every race of the 2026 MotoGP season live on SPOTV NOW.
