MotoGP Will Have Saturday Sprint Races, Starting in 2023
MotoGP will follow the Superbike World Championship on Saturday after qualifying with an additional sprint race.
The move aims to provide more action on track on Saturday and add a bit more spectacle to the MotoGP race format.
Sprint races have already been a success at the MotoE World Cup, where the e-bikes deliver tough bar-to-bar races over their limited race distance.
Saturday’s sprint race format in WorldSBK was also a strong move for Dorna in the production series, so it’s not surprising to see the powers that be implement it in MotoGP.
Detailed information on what this addition means to the race schedule is yet to come from Dorna, but the basics can be seen from the company’s press release below:
Sprint races are to be introduced at all Grands Prix from 2023
Saturday 20 August 2022
The FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna Sports are now able to announce a new Sporting format to be rolled out for the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship from 2023. Sprint races will be introduced at all Grands Prix, creating an exciting, action-packed program for fans every day of a MotoGP™ race weekend and maintaining a consistent format across the calendar.
Sprint races take place at 15:00 on the Saturday of each Grand Prix and cover approximately 50% of the total race distance. The sprint race has a 15-minute grid procedure and the sporting rules are the same as a full-length Grand Prix race on Sunday.
In sprint races, points are awarded as follows:
- 1st place: 12th
- 2nd place: 9th
- 3rd place: 7th
- 4th place: 6th
- 5th place: 5th
- 6th place: 4th
- 7th place: 3rd
- 8th place: 2nd
- 9th place: 1st
Sprint races do not determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix race. Drivers must be able to race on Saturday without having to consider their starting position on Sunday. The starting grids for both the sprint race and the grand prix race will be determined in qualifying, which will maintain its Q1-Q2 format.
The introduction of sprint races allows fans and broadcasters to be given the best possible experience on and off the track each day of a race weekend, with track action focusing on maximum spectacle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to showcase the best of MotoGP™. Additionally, the new format will provide more engagement opportunities for fans, broadcasters and media throughout the event, raising the profile of the MotoGP™ class without diminishing that of Moto2™ and Moto3™.
Race weekends 2023
The MotoGP™ class will have two practice sessions on Friday, which will last longer. The combined timesheets from these sessions determine the direct entrants into the second quarter, guaranteeing increased importance and presence on Friday.
A 30-minute Free Practice (similar to the current FP4) will take place in the MotoGP™ class on Saturday morning, followed by Q1 and Q2 for qualifying. The sprint race then takes place at 15:00 and makes for an incredible array of MotoGP™ track action on Saturday.
Sunday remains a spectacle for fans and broadcasters with the Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ Grand Prix races. The aim will also be to host MotoGP™ as the last race on Sunday at each event, allowing for an enhanced podium ceremony, on-track celebrations and the possibility of fantrack invasions at each venue.
The MotoGP™ sessions will be the last of each block, further standardizing the race weekend format and maintaining the same order throughout each event. Moto3™ is followed by Moto2™, followed by MotoGP™.
Source: Dorna