Ezpeleta confirmed sprint races in all 2023 GGPPs

In an extraordinary press conference that took place this afternoon at the Austrian Red Bull Ring, the president of the FIM, Jorge Viegas, the CEO of Dorna, Carmelo Ezpeleta, and the president of the IRTA, Hervé Poncharal, announced an important change to the Grand Prix format that will include the introduction of a sprint race for each Grand Prix Saturday from next year.

Confirmed changes

– that sprint race is half the length of Sunday’s race
– the points to be distributed are half of Sunday
– They will be held on Saturday afternoon
– the result does not count for the grid on Sunday
– the ‘qualy’ is maintained to form the grids of the two races
– the number of wheels and engine will remain the same regulated
– some free training sessions will be removed, although this point has not been officially confirmed at the press conference

At the moment they are in the initial stage of discussions, but they have advanced the general lines of ideas that are being taken because “we want to attract more interest in MotoGP, more fans, more interest on television”, explained Carmelo Ezpeleta.

Those general rules are that the length of that sprint race is half that of Sunday’s race and the points awarded are half that. These will be held on Saturday afternoon and the result will not count for Sunday’s grid as the ‘qualy’ remains. The number of wheels and engines will remain uniformly controlled as some free practice sessions will be removed, although this end has not been officially confirmed at the press conference.

Regarding the criticism from the pilots that they learned about the idea through the press, Carmelo Ezpeleta clarified that “the pilots of their teams must be informed, some know and others are not, my obligation to the Safety Commission will talk to them and I know that some don’t know that I did it yesterday. The discussion is not bad and we will consider the opinions, we have to combine the idea and the new program. The pilots will have more time to attend the media and the spectators at the track and that will improve the visibility of the championship”, explained Carmelo Ezpeleta.

This June Dorna Sports SL and Motorsport Network launched the 2022 MotoGP Global Fan Survey, whose aim was to get opinions and where the idea is already supported by the fans. At Silverstone was when it was discussed with the teams. Through the group and it was in Austria when it was officially announced.

Jorge Viegas explained that “the two years of covid we have made an incredible sacrifice, it is time for more exposure on TV and we have to fill the Saturdays. We have to move because otherwise we will be under the list of motorsport and we want to be the first. One of the moments of greatest show is the starts and you double that moment and it will be different on a Saturday from a Sunday”, commented the president of the FIM.

Hervé Poncharal insists that it is not a cost increase for the factories and the teams and everyone agrees with the idea. “The first time we saw the project we liked it, there is room to improve, we look at what is happening elsewhere and it would be stupid not to, there will be more action and excitement which is what MotoGP is, and if this is a clear improvement. We’ll fix it.”