MotoGP 2027 pre-season dates confirmed ahead of new era
MotoGP stands on the edge of a brand-new era, and we finally have the calendar for how the machines will break cover before the lights go out. The action officially kicks off with the Shakedown Test at the Petronas running from the 29th to the 30th of January, strictly reserved for factory test riders and rookies. That serves as an immediate appetiser for the first official test of the year.
Straight after the shakedown, the entire grid takes over the Sepang Test for two days spanning the 31st of January and the 1st of February. Both of these early 2027 events give teams just two days of running to grapple with their setups. From there, the paddock packs up and flies straight to Buriram in Thailand for the second official two-day test, scheduled for the 6th and 7th of February.
Before any of that January madness unfolds, though, we get an absolute treat. The very first look at this new era happens at the Test on the 1st of December 2026. That is when new rider line-ups finally break cover and pilot their all-new 850cc machinery for the very first time. It is going to be wild.
Once testing concludes, MotoGP heads west for a brand-new Season Launch. Rio de Janeiro takes the flagship event right into the heart of the city, using Botafogo Beach as a stunning backdrop on the 21st of February. Then, it is down to serious business with the very first race weekend of the year, running as the Thai GP at Buriram from the 5th to the 7th of March.
Meanwhile, the junior categories have their own dates locked in at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. Moto2 gets a private test from the 16th to the 17th of February, followed by Moto3 taking over for an official test on the 18th and 19th of February. Moto2 then returns for its official test from the 20th to the 21st of February to round out the pre-season schedule.
