Change of status for Friday MotoGP practice? Oliveira in favour

A proposal currently under discussion is to change the status of opening practice on a Friday morning to a free practice session, meaning lap times would no longer count towards direct access to Qualifying 2.

At present, the top ten riders on combined Friday lap times (Practice 1 and Practice 2) receive entry into Qualifying 2. The others then fight for the remaining two transfer spots in Qualifying 1.

But the possibility of rain on Friday afternoon means riders are obliged to push for a time attack in opening practice, a risky venture given the lack of grip and bike set-up. It also reduces the time available to try new parts.

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Previously, the cut-off for deciding the Qualifying 2 top ten was at the end of FP3 on Saturday morning.

“At least we would have Friday [morning] kind of free to try something new, if you have some parts, some settings,” RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira said of the proposal.

“Yeah, I would be in favour of not having the Q1-Q2 pre-qualification directly [from Friday morning].

“But anyway, we have to adapt. [Whatever] the format, we have to deal with it the best we can. That's our job.”

If unanimously agreed, the change could be introduced after the summer break, at Silverstone.

Update: The proposal to change Friday practice was not passed unanimously, meaning the revised format won't be introduced until 2024.