MotoGP Sprint Races
The Saturday Sprint will be introduced at all Grands Prix in 2023, maintaining a consistent format across the entire calendar.
Sprint races will take place at 1500 on the Saturday of each Grand Prix and reach about 50% of the full race distance.
The Sprint race will have a 15-minute grid run, and the sports rules will be the same as Sunday’s full-time Grand Prix race.
Reactions from riders have been mixed. World champion Fabio Quartararo called the move ‘stupid’.
Sprint Race Points will be awarded as follows:
▪ 1st place: 12
▪ 2nd place: 9
▪ 3rd place: 7
▪ 4th place: 6
▪ 5th place: 5
▪ 6th place: 4
▪ 7th place: 3
▪ 8th place: 2
▪ 9th place: 1
Sprint races will not determine the grid for the Grand Prix race. Drivers must be free to race on Saturday, without having to consider their Sunday grid position. The grid for both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix race will be established from qualifying, which will retain the Q1-Q2 format.
2023 race weekend
The MotoGP class will have two sessions on Friday, which will last longer. The combined timeline from these sessions will determine the direct participants in Q2, ensuring Friday increases in importance and visibility.
On Saturday morning, the MotoGP tier will have a 30-minute Free Practice session (similar to the current FP4), followed by Q1 and Q2 for qualifying. The Sprint Race will then take place at 1500.
Sunday will remain a spectacle for fans and broadcasters alike, with Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP Grand Prix races. The goal will also have MotoGP as the final Sunday race at each event, allowing for improved awards ceremonies, on-track celebrations and the possibility of fan race invasions at each event. location.
The MotoGP sessions will be the final session of each block, further standardizing the racing format over the weekend and maintaining the same order in each event. Moto3 will be followed by Moto2, followed by MotoGP.
Herve Poncharal, President of IRTA
“Returning from summer break, we had a very important meeting with Mike Trimby to represent the teams as IRTA, with Carmelo and Carlos Ezpeleta. This was actually the first time we saw the project, and from the start, we loved it. I think if you’re not moving forward you’re taking a step back, and while our show is great, possibly the best on Earth, that doesn’t mean we can’t have room for improvement. and there is still room for improvement. As Carmelo also told us, yes, we looked at what was happening somewhere else, and we would be foolish not to look at what was happening somewhere else and operate in another. other places. From the very first point, I really liked it, we had a meeting with all of our colleagues in the Independent MotoGP teams, and around the world, they supported and they loved it, think it will also help the business of the teams because the media, I’m pretty sure, will like it a lot, will love it; sponsors when the media is more active, will like it very much.
“So all I can say is that we’re not generating any inflation, so the engine allocation, the tire allocation will remain the same; mileage on the weekend will more or less remain the same. So there will be no more tracking action. We will try not to give the riders more work, but more action, more excitement, which is what MotoGP is all about. I am so proud to be part of the Championship, having Carmelo and Jorge by my side to announce this important news. For sure there are still important things that need to be tweaked. We’re always listening to people and when it’s something visible and clearly an improvement, we adapt ourselves. But overall, I think this is an important day for MotoGP, and I believe 2023 will be even more exciting.“
