When the MotoGP World Championship 2023 kicks off with the Portuguese Grand Prix, a new structure will be introduced. Sprint races will be held in 2023, following the successful introduction of sprint races in another racing series, Formula 1.
The important difference here is consistency, with MotoGP sprint races taking place at every Grand Prix this season, with a sliding scale of points awarded to the top nine finishers. “If starting first in qualifying was important last year, it will be even more important this year because we will start twice,” predicted Pol Espargaro of GasGas Factory Racing. “We’ll see the top speed of all the manufacturers.” The ones who adapt the best will be the ones who triumph.”
Here’s how sprint races will operate, how many points will be available to competitors, the MotoGP calendar for 2023, and more.
How can fans watch MotoGP sprint races in 2023?
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:
Live Broadcast: MotoGP Sprint races 2023 Live
MotoGP sprint race schedule
On race weekends, the Sprint event will begin at 3 p.m. local time on Saturday afternoon.
It will not take the position of the two regular qualifying sessions, which will determine the grid for both the sprint and Sunday races.
The two Friday practice sessions will be expanded from 45 minutes to 60 minutes, with the combined times used to decide direct entry to qualifying session two, rather than having to wait until after the third free practice on Saturday morning.
How will the weekend format change for sprint races?
The schedule for each grand prix has been altered as a result of the addition of a sprint race to every Saturday of the season.
Friday will still have two practice periods, but they will start later than before.
FP1 will continue to take place at 10:45am local time and will last 45 minutes, while FP2 will now take place at 3pm local time and will last an hour. MotoGP practices will always take place after Moto2 and Moto3 on race weekends.
Unlike in the past, the combined times at the conclusion of Friday’s running will determine who goes straight into Q2 for qualifying and who must compete in the knockout Q1 stage.
On Saturday morning, FP3 begins at 10:10 a.m. local time and lasts 30 minutes, essentially replacing FP4.
Following FP3, qualification will take place from 10:50 am to 11:30 am local time, including Q1 and Q2. This qualifying session will determine the grid position for both the sprint race and the grand prix.
The sprint competition will begin at 3 p.m. local time.
The schedule for Sunday has also been changed slightly, with MotoGP the only class receiving a warm-up practice, which has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes and will take place at 9:45 a.m. local time.
The grand prix will be held at 2 p.m. local time at all European competitions, as is customary.
MotoGP sprint race rules
The race will last roughly half the distance of the complete race, with the top nine riders receiving half of the points.
A 15-minute grid process will take place. Otherwise, the regulations will be the same as the following day’s full-length Grand Prix.
How many points are awarded for MotoGP sprint races?
Here’s how the points table looks for the sprint race.
| Position | Points |
| 1st | 12 |
| 2nd | 9 |
| 3rd | 7 |
| 4th | 6 |
| 5th | 5 |
| 6th | 4 |
| 7th | 3 |
| 8th | 2 |
| 9th | 1 |
MotoGP schedule 2023
In total, there are 18 scheduled events on the MotoGP docket for 2023, representing another all-time high for the calendar.
The Finland GP, which was cancelled in 2022 due to the “geopolitical situation”, will again not take place in 2023.
Here’s the latest schedule (subject to change):
| Date | Race | Track | Start time (ET) | Winner (Team) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 24-26 | Portuguese GP | Autodromo Internacional do Algarve | TBC | TBD |
| March 31-April 2 | Argentina GP | Termas de Rio Hondo | TBC | TBD |
| April 14-16 | Americas GP | Circuit of the Americas | TBC | TBD |
| April 28-30 | Spanish GP | Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto | TBC | TBD |
| May 1 | Jerez test | Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto | TBC | TBD |
| May 12-14 | French GP | Le Mans | TBC | TBD |
| June 9-11 | Italian GP | Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello | TBC | TBD |
| June 16-18 | German GP | Sachsenring | TBC | TBD |
| June 23-25 | Dutch GP | Assen | TBC | TBD |
| July 7-9 | Kazakhstan GP | Sokol | TBC | TBD |
| August 4-6 | British GP | Silverstone | TBC | TBD |
| August 18-20 | Austrian GP | Red Bull Ring – Spielberg | TBC | TBD |
| September 1-3 | Catalan GP | Barcelona-Catalunya | TBC | TBD |
| September 8-10 | San Marino GP | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli | TBC | TBD |
| September 11 | San Marino test | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli | TBC | TBD |
| September 22-24 | Indian GP | Buddh | TBC | TBD |
| September 29-October 1 | Japanese GP | Mobility Resort Motegi | TBC | TBD |
| October 13-15 | Indonesian GP | Mandalika | TBC | TBD |
| October 20-22 | Australian GP | Phillip Island | TBC | TBD |
| October 27-29 | Thailand GP | Chang | TBC | TBD |
| November 10-12 | Malaysian GP | Sepang | TBC | TBD |
| November 17-19 | Qatar GP | Lusail | TBC | TBD |
| November 24-26 | Valencia GP | Circuit Ricardo Tormo | TBC | TBD |
