MotoGP is set to continue the World Superbike Championship with the addition of a sprint race on Saturdayafter qualifying.
The move is intended to provide more on-track action on Saturday and add a bit of spectacle to the MotoGP racing format.
Sprint races are already succeeded with MotoE World Cupwhere the e-bikes feature hard bar racing in their limited racing distance.
The seventh sprint format in WorldSBK is also a strong move for Dorna in the production series, so it’s no surprise to see the powerhouses doing it in MotoGP.
Full details on what this addition will mean for the race schedule still come from Dorna, but the basics are outlined below from the company’s press release:
Sprint races will be introduced at all Grands Prix from 2023
Saturday, August 20, 2022
FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna Sports can now announce the new Sports Format that will be introduced for the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship from 2023. Sprint races will be featured at all Grands Prix, Create an exciting program of action for fans on every MotoGP™ race weekend and maintain a consistent schedule on the calendar.
Sprint races will take place at 15:00 Saturday of each Grand Prix and reach approximately 50% of the 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.
During Sprint races, 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.
The introduction of Sprint Races allows each day of race week to offer fans and broadcasters the best possible experience on track and track, with on-track action on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. updated with maximum spectacle to show off the best of MotoGP™. Additionally, the new format will provide increased interaction opportunities for fans, broadcasters and media throughout the event and elevate the profile of the MotoGP™ class without sacrificing the configuration of Moto2™ and Moto3™.
2023 race weekend
The MotoGP™ class will have two longer practice sessions on Fridays. Combined timesheets from these sessions will identify Q2 direct participants, ensuring Fridays increase in importance and visibility.
On Saturday morning, the MotoGP™ class 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 kick off at 15:00, creating an incredible MotoGP™ action lineup on Saturday.
Sunday will remain a spectacle for fans and broadcasters, with Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ Grand Prix races. Target will also have MotoGP™ as the ultimate Sunday race at each event, allowing for improved awards ceremonies, on-track celebrations and the possibility of fan race invasions at each location.
The MotoGP™ sessions will be the final session of each block, further standardizing the race weekend’s format and maintaining the same order in each event. Moto3™ will be followed by Moto2™, followed by MotoGP™.
Source: Dorna
