Photo: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
MotoGP 2026 Engine Freeze Explained: Key Rules and Impact on 2027 Bikes
Eliška Ryšánková
News.GP journalist who’s all about the thrilling worlds of MotoGP and Formula 1.
MotoGP will freeze engine specifications for the 2026 season, requiring manufacturers to use their 2025 engine designs. This decision, aimed at reducing costs and maintaining competitive balance, sets the stage for the introduction of new, safer, and more sustainable bikes in 2027. Discover how the freeze affects manufacturers, with exceptions for safety, reliability, and concession Rank D teams.
F1 & MotoGP news to your inbox every day.
The engine specifications in MotoGP will be frozen for the 2026 season, meaning manufacturers will be required to use their 2025 engine designs for the following year as well. This decision aims to manage costs and maintain competitive balance ahead of the introduction of a new era of bikes in 2027. More about engine freeze: HERE.
These new bikes will bring improvements in safety, sustainability, and performance, featuring entirely new engine specifications. By freezing development a year earlier, manufacturers can control expenses and direct their resources toward designing for 2027. More about new 2027 bikes: HERE.
Exceptions to the freeze will be allowed only for safety or reliability issues, or for manufacturers in concession Rank D. Changes addressing safety, reliability, or proven shortages of parts may be permitted, provided no performance advantage is gained by this action.
For manufacturers in concession Rank D, the engine freeze will not apply unless their ranking changes. They will continue to have the freedom to develop their engines, helping them close the performance gap with the top teams.
