MotoGP is planning its first major format change in decades for 2023, and a proposal to introduce a sprint race on Saturday followingnoon will be unveiled in Austria this weekend, reports The Race.
The sprint race, introduced on a trial basis in F1 in 2021, will determine the starting grid for the final at half the race distance. This year, it has been further brushed up, and points will be awarded up to 8th place.
Unlike F1, which hosts three sprint races each year, MotoGP’s plan is to roll out a full season.
The format change was the idea of a sprint race discussed in MotoGP’s first global fan survey conducted earlier this year, as the series seeks to cope with declining circuit attendance and TV viewership. , has been debated for several months.
And series promoter Dorna has already experimented, introducing a Superpole race to its other series, World Superbike, in 2011.
Feedback on the idea of introducing a sprint race into MotoGP has been understood to be positive, with it being proposed to team bosses at the Red Bull Ring on Friday followingnoon and expected to be officially announced on Saturday.
Speaking to The Race at the Red Bull Ring, Gresini Racing team principal Carlo Merlini said the news should be a welcome boost to the series.
“Of course, we cannot disclose the details,” explained Carlo Merlini.
“Anything that attracts more spectators, attracts more TV viewers and creates more interaction with fans on the circuit, is good for the interests of the championship.”
First reported by Spanish reporter Oriol Puigdemont, the new format saw one of Saturday’s two practice sessions scrapped and qualifying moved up to earlier in the day, traditionally occupied by Q1 and Q2. It is said that a 15-lap half-distance race will be held by opening the place.
However, unlike F1 and WSB, Dorna’s proposal to team bosses was believed to have indicated that the sprint races would not count towards qualifying and that the grid for both races would be set by Saturday’s qualifying. there is
