The full updated 2026 MotoGP calendar after Qatar postponement prompts Portimao, Valencia changes
Rescheduling the 2026 Qatar MotoGP also changes the race dates for two other events. Here is the revised calendar.
The postponement of next month’s Qatar round ‘due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East’ means the 2026 MotoGP World Championship currently remains at a planned 22 rounds.
However, moving Qatar to the weekend of 6-8 November not only forms a new Phillip Island-Sepang-Lusail triple header, but also delays the following events at Portimao and Valencia.
The Portuguese Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 13-15 November, with the Valencia MotoGP finale on the weekend after.
Although there is no direct clash with the new Qatar date, it would have meant an ‘impossible’ end-of-season run of five grands prix in five weekends.
Instead, 13-15 of November now becomes a weekend off, with Portimao pushed back to the original Valencia date of 20-22 November.
The Spanish season finale is now set for 27-29 November.
Valencia test in December?
The new Valencia date means the official post-race test, usually held on Tuesday, is set to take place on 1 December, raising further concerns about cold temperatures.
It would also technically be within the Winter Test Ban, which runs from 1 December to 31 January, but an exemption can be granted.
The Valencia test is especially significant this season, given the development of new 850cc/Pirelli machines for 2027.
It also offers the ‘first look’ at next year's revised rider line-up, rumoured to feature team changes for the likes of Pedro Acosta, Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo.
Surprisingly, the latest official MotoGP calendar update (below) still lists this weekend’s Goiania event in Brazil as ‘subject to homologation’.
The opening European round at Jerez, now preceded by a near one-month break, remains ‘Subject to contract’.
Should the Qatar round still not be viable in November, it is assumed that Portimao and Valencia will keep their delayed dates.
Updated 2026 MotoGP calendar (15 March) | |||
| Round | Race | Track | Date |
| 1 | Thai Grand Prix | Buriram | 27 February - 1 March |
| 2 | Brazilian Grand Prix | Ayrton Senna Circuit* | 20-22 March |
| 3 | Americas Grand Prix | Circuit of the Americas | 27-29 March |
| 4 | Spanish Grand Prix | Jerez** | 24-26 April |
| 5 | French Grand Prix | Le Mans | 8-10 May |
| 6 | Catalan Grand Prix | Barcelona | 15-17 May |
| 7 | Italian Grand Prix | Mugello | 29-31 May |
| 8 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Balaton Park | 5-7 June |
| 9 | Czech Grand Prix | Brno | 19-21 June |
| 10 | Dutch Grand Prix | Assen | 26-28 June |
| 11 | German Grand Prix | Sachsenring | 10-12 July |
| Summer Break | |||
| 12 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone | 7-9 August |
| 13 | Aragon Grand Prix | Aragon | 28-30 August |
| 14 | San Marino Grand Prix | Misano | 11-13 September |
| 15 | Austrian Grand Prix | Red Bull Ring | 18-20 September |
| 16 | Japanese Grand Prix | Motegi | 2-4 October |
| 17 | Indonesian Grand Prix | Mandalika | 9-11 October |
| 18 | Australian Grand Prix | Phillip Island | 23-25 October |
| 19 | Malaysian Grand Prix | Sepang | 30 October - 1 November |
| 20 | Qatar Grand Prix | Lusail | 6-8 November |
| 21 | Portuguese Grand Prix | Portimao | 20-22 November |
| 22 | Valencia Grand Prix | Ricardo Tormo | 27-29 November |
*Subject to homologation
**Subject to contract
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
