Within the largest shake-up to the grand prix format for many years, MotoGP will introduce half-distance sprint races on the Saturday of each spherical in 2023.
The dash is an unbiased race and won’t rely as a qualifying for the primary grand prix, which can proceed to happen on Sundays.
The introduction of the brand new format got here as a shock to the riders when it was introduced final yr because the proposal was for sprints to function in any respect 21 rounds in 2023, not like in Formulation 1 the place there are presently six throughout the season.
The inexperienced gentle for the rethink was given by collection promoters Dorna Sports activities and the governing physique the FIM finally yr’s Austrian Grand Prix, although by this time many of the grid had already signed their contracts for 2023 or had pre-existing agreements in place – which didn’t function dash races.
With an additional contest added to the weekend, riders have raised considerations in regards to the added threat issue of doubling the quantity of racing, which has led to many brokers within the paddock to argue that their riders ought to be paid a bonus for his or her performances within the dash races.
That is seen as being one thing of extra significance given the truth that most base salaries now are smaller than they was, with performance-based bonuses favoured.
Throughout final weekend’s first pre-season check of 2023 in Malaysia, a number of conferences came about between some workforce bosses as a way to discover a potential consensual answer to the dash race bonus challenge with the groups and the promoters.
Remy Gardner, KTM Tech3
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Autosport understands, having spoken with a number of figures, the preliminary concept was to ascertain a typical cash pool divided equally in two: one half could be paid by the groups in equal components, whereas the opposite half could be paid by Dorna.
Nevertheless, this proposal won’t even be offered to Dorna now attributable to an absence of consensus amongst groups and producers as some do not look favourably on the potential of having to pay the prize for a rival to win within the dash race – an comprehensible place given the uneven grid unfold in 2023, with eight Ducatis, 4 Hondas, Aprilias and KTMs, and two Yamahas.
With simply over a month to go till the season begins in Portugal on 26 March, all the pieces factors to groups having to agree individually with their riders to set their very own bonus funds for dash races – if they’re keen to take action.
