<\/p>\n
The news leaked at the Red Bull Ring on Friday and was officially confirmed at a special press conference on Saturday.<\/p>\n
However, the final details are still to be agreed.<\/p>\n
The only certainty at this stage is that there will be a Sprint race on Saturday afternoon at each round, half the normal distance and awarding half a point (12.5 per win), and that it will not replace the normal (Q1 and Q2). qualification sessions.<\/p>\n
“The aim of the championship has been to try to improve everything to the maximum, working in all areas”, said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna. “We have been looking for other sports, different possibilities, to offer a better show.<\/p>\n
“We have spoken to the FIM, the manufacturers and the teams.”<\/p>\n
However, the idea of \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bthe Sprint race received a mixed reception from MotoGP riders<\/strong> Friday.<\/p>\n Addressing complaints that the pilots were not aware of the decision beforehand, Ezpeleta added:<\/p>\n “The drivers must be informed by the teams. Those who had not been informed, I spoke to the Security Commission yesterday. We have shared different views and will consider different positions.<\/p>\n “We will have a sprint race on Saturday, it will not count for the grid, and the rest [of the details] we can discuss.”<\/p>\n Related Articles<\/span><\/p>\n The president of IRTA, Herve Poncharal, said: \u201cIf you don’t move forward, you take a step back. Even though our show is great, it doesn’t mean you can’t improve.<\/p>\n “Yes, we look at what happens elsewhere and what works elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a meeting with all the Independent MotoGP teams and they unanimously supported the idea. It will also be better for the media and sponsors.<\/p>\n “There will be no more [costs] because there will be no more track action, so we won’t have to change the tire or engine allocation.<\/p>\n “We will try not to give the drivers more work, but to offer more action and excitement.”<\/p>\n The addition of a Sprint race at each round will bring MotoGP to over 40 races in 2023.<\/p>\n Which practice sessions will be dropped to make room for the new Sprint race is still to be decided, as is the question of whether a Sprint race win will be considered a “grand prix win.”<\/p>\n On the one hand, it’s still a MotoGP race, on the other, comparing results with previous riders (total wins, podiums, points, etc.) would effectively be pointless.<\/p>\n FIM president Jorge Viegas made his preference clear: “A win is a win, so why shouldn’t it count?”<\/p>\n MotoGP rules currently award full points if a race is stopped after 3\/4 of the distance, while the minimum duration allowed for a restarted race is just 5 laps.<\/p>\n Moto2 and Moto3 will continue to run a single race, on Sundays.<\/p>\nMore than 40 MotoGP races in 2023<\/h2>\n