MotoGP has officially announced that it will introduce a new sports format, “Sprint Race”, from 2023.
The schedule and weekend format will be retained, but a sprint race will be held at 15:00 on the Saturday of each Grand Prix. The mileage is 50% of the race distance. There will be a 15-minute grid procedure and the competition rules will be the same as Sunday’s full-length race. The points are as follows.
1st place: 12 points
2nd place: 9 points
3rd place: 7 points
4th place: 6 points
5th place: 5 points
6th place: 4 points
7th place: 3 points
8th place: 2 points
9th place: 1 point
The sprint race will not determine the grid for the Grand Prix race, and the current qualifying system (Official Qualifying 1/Official Qualifying 2) will be maintained.
With the introduction of sprint races, we will be able to offer fans and broadcasters the best possible experience on and off the track, while track action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will focus on the biggest spectacles and the best of MotoGP. offer.
In addition, the new format will provide more opportunities for fans, broadcasters and media to engage throughout the event, further raising the profile of MotoGP without detracting from the profile of Moto2 and Moto3.
2023 Race Weekend
The MotoGP class held two practice sessions (free practice) on Friday. The extended running time and the combined timesheets from the two sessions ensured a direct entry into Qualifying 2, increasing the importance and exposure of Friday.
On Saturday morning, the premier class had one 30-minute free practice (currently free practice 4), followed by official qualifying 1 and official qualifying 2. A sprint race will then take place at 15:00, providing some great track action on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Grand Prix races of Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP will be held, with MotoGP being the last race of each event, improved podium ceremonies, on-track celebrations and fans on track. We also set a goal to allow entry.
Similarities and differences with F1
Starting in 2021, F1 will introduce a 100km, 30-minute “sprint” race on Saturdays with the goal of “improving the fan experience”. In addition to determining the starting grid for the race, drivers are also given points.
Some F1 ‘sprints’ have proven to be very exciting, others are best described as processions. In any case, MotoGP’s view of his ‘borrowing’ from F1 is split on social media.
The big difference that has already been confirmed is that in MotoGP the sprint races will be treated as standalone, unlike F1, where sprints take place every weekend and actually form the Sunday grid, called ‘sprint qualifying’. .
The standalone nature of MotoGP sprints quickly raised questions such as: Do sprint wins count as wins in official MotoGP records?
FIM president Jorge Viegas said: “I think we should think more about this, but a win is a win. There are podiums, there are races. So why not count?”
Arguments were made that the sprint was the inferior half-distance race and that treating it equally in the history books would risk devaluing Sunday.
“We will think about it,” said president Jorge Viegas.
This is a good answer. It’s something to think about, but it doesn’t matter.
The way F1 got around this is pretty effective. In F1, grid formation on sprint results could make it less likely to be seen as a win, but also an important part of the escalation of the familiar Grand Prix weekend format.
But F1 has sparked a debate over whether the top of Friday’s qualifying or the winner of the sprint qualifying should score pole position. Ultimately, from 2022 onwards, the top driver in Friday qualifying will be recorded as pole position.
MotoGP qualifying is not as important or prestigious as F1 qualifying due to the inherent nature of the race. So adding something of increased competitive importance on Saturday afternoon will be easier than in F1.
