Official: MotoGP agrees to engine freeze ahead of 2027 rules shake-up

The Grand Prix Commission has announced that a freeze on MotoGP engine development will come into force for the 2026 season ahead of the 2027 850cc shift.

Announced earlier this year, the 2027 season will see one of MotoGP’s biggest regulation shake-ups since the 1000cc bikes were introduced in 2012 as the replacement to the 800s.

From 2027, MotoGP will be powered by 850cc engines, while there will be a huge reduction in aerodynamics and a total ban on ride height devices.

For the last few months a freeze on engine development has been discussed among the manufacturers in order to keep costs under control as they shift resources towards 2027.

Currently, non-concession manufacturers must homologate their engines ahead of the opening round of a new season and cannot develop them for the rest of the year.

While the freeze will come into force for the start of 2026, it effectively begins for manufacturers not ranked in concession group D next year, as their 2025 motors will have to be raced the following year.

This is the first time there has been a freeze on engine development since the COVID pandemic, when engines raced in 2020 had to be used in 2021 for non-concession marques.

Currently, Yamaha and Honda will be able to continue developing their engines into 2026 so long as they do not gain the required results to improve their concession rank of D.

Manufacturers who are not concession rank D will also be allowed to make changes to their engines in 2026 on safety and reliability grounds, or if current components are no long available to build those engines.

However, these changes must not provide any performance gain.

The full statement from MotoGP on the matter read: “Engine specification in MotoGP will be frozen for 2026, meaning factories must also use their 2025 engine designs the following season.

“The Grand Prix Commission approved the proposal in order to control costs and keep a level playing field as much as possible before MotoGP changes to new bikes in 2027.

“Those new bikes will make MotoGP safer, more sustainable and even more spectacular, and include completely new engine specifications.

“A freeze on development the season before keeps costs controlled for all, allowing factories to focus on their new designs for 2027.

“The sole exceptions to the freeze will be for safety or reliability, and for any manufacturers in concession Rank D.

“Corrections for safety or reliability, or proven non-availability of components, may be allowed for any manufacturer providing no performance increase will be gained.

“For factories in concession Rank D, the engine specification freeze will not apply unless they change rank.

“The spec for them will remain free as it is now, allowing those with a greater performance deficit to the top to continue working on key areas of their machinery.”