MotoGP 2023 format change: sprint races, grid, sessions…

The Motorland Circuit was last Friday the scene of the meeting of the highest body of the world championship, the Grand Prix Commission , in which the arrival of the sprint races was definitively approved and, with them, a new format weekend, in which the MotoGP category gains weight and prominence even more.

MotoGP weekend format in 2023: sprint races and all sessions

Starting in 2023 and unlike what has happened until now, the practices, classifications and races of the premier class will always be the last, behind Moto3 and Moto2, with changes in practice times, which are reduced to accommodate new initiatives to bring the stars of the championship closer to the fans.

MotoGP free practice, which until now was called ‘FP’, is now called ‘P’ (practice), so in 2023 on Fridays there will be a P1 (practice 1) and P2, which in the case of MotoGP will last 45 and 60 minutes, respectively. The combined times of P1 and P2 will decide the ten participants that go directly to Q2.

MotoGP will enjoy a 30-minute free practice session on Saturday morning, called ‘FP’ (free practice) comparable to the current FP4 on Saturday at noon. Qualifying for Q1 will start at 10:50, while MotoGP Q2 will start at 11:15.

In all the grand prix throughout the season, a sprint race will be held on Saturday, which will take place at 3:00 p.m.

Despite the fact that it had disappeared in the initial proposal, at the request of the riders in the Safety Commission, a Warm Up will be held on Sunday morning, only for the MotoGP category, which will be reduced from the current 20 minutes to just 10 minutes. .

What will MotoGP sprint racing be like in 2023?

How long will MotoGP sprint races last in 2023?

MotoGP will introduce an important novelty in 2023, the so-called sprint races, which will be at a distance of approximately 50% of the distance of the grand prix race held on Sunday at the same event. In the event that half the distance of a grand prix (and therefore the number to be covered in sprint races) is odd, it will be rounded down.

As there will be sprint racing in all the grands prix of the 2023 season, the first MotoGP sprint race will be in the first event, at the Portuguese GP.

How many points will be shared in a MotoGP sprint race?

The first nine classified pilots of the sprint race will add points for the world championship, these being the points that they will earn.

• 1st position (sprint winner): 12 points
• 2nd position: 9 points
• 3rd position: 7 points
• 4th position: 6 points
• 5th position: 5 points
• 6th position: 4 points
• 7th position: 3 points
• 8th position: 2 points
• 9th position: 1 point

The distribution of points for Sunday remains unchanged, awarding the first 15 drivers: 25 points for the winner, 20 for second, 16 for third, 13 for fourth, and so on up to 15th (11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1).

MotoGP sprint race format in 2023 and rules

A 15-minute grid procedure and the same rules as the Grand Prix race will be in place in regards to rain on the grid, flag-to-flag racing and quick restarts. If a sprint race is interrupted, the quick restart procedure will apply. Restarts will be to complete the original race distance minus one lap, with a minimum distance of 5 laps. After completing 3/4 of the race, if it stops it will no longer restart.

For the short races on Saturday (to the sprint), the use of fuel is limited to (approximately) 12 liters (22 on Sundays). As reported by the sports director of the World Cup, Carlos Ezpeleta , the teams may, if they consider it appropriate, design a smaller tank that can also be used in training and qualifying.

As far as the sanctions that are generated during practice and qualifying are concerned, they will be applied both on the grid of the sprint race and on Sunday.

In the sprint races, the same protocol of infraction for exceeding the limits of the track will be followed as MotoE, which also has shorter race distances. Thus, after the first infraction the pilot will be warned and after the third he will be penalized with a Long Lap .

The pilots who skip the start ( Jump Start ), will have to pay a double long lap, the same as in the long races.

Penalties imposed as a result of incidents in any session, after the session in question has concluded, will normally apply to the Grand Prix race. For example, a long lap penalty imposed for irresponsible driving in Practice 1 will be applied in Sunday’s race.

How is the grid decided for the MotoGP sprint races?

The starting grid for both MotoGP races (the sprint and the main) will be the one established in the classifications of Q1 and Q2. However, if a driver incurs a grid penalty for reckless driving or the like, that grid penalty will only be served on Sunday.

Moto2 and Moto3, shortened sessions from the 2023 season

As for the Moto2 and Moto3 categories, they will enjoy three practice sessions each, followed by qualifying Q1-Q2.

Moto3 practice sessions 1 and 2 will last 35 minutes, five minutes less than the current sessions. Practices 1 and 2 of Moto2 will continue to be 40 minutes. These sessions will take place on Friday and will determine automatic entry to Q2.

For both Moto2 and Moto3, the third practice session will take place on Saturday morning and will last 30 minutes.

This session will be free practice for each class and will not count towards combined timesheets or entry into Q2. There will be no Warm Up sessions for Moto2 and Moto3 on Sunday morning.

The race distances for both classes will also be shortened after the Grand Prix Commission decided that the approximate duration of the races would be 36 minutes for Moto2 and 34 for Moto3 .

Standard table of times for a grand prix weekend in 2023 (MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3)