Aprilia’s Massimo Rivola has joined KTM’s Pit Beirer in questioning the record-breaking size of the MotoGP calendar.

After a new high of 20 rounds last year, 22 events were planned for this season, although tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhe cancellation of Argentina means it currently stands at 21 (assuming Kazakhs🌞tan is homologated).

“The number of races I think is really on the limit and we as a group would prefer slightly less than more,” said KTM moto🌠rsport director Beirer.

The introduction of Saturday afternoon Sprint races from the start of last year h𝄹as also raised the intensity of each Grand Prix.

However, Beirer made clear he wants the S🔜print format to remain.

“We are re꧅ally in big favour of that,” said the German. “We love racing, so I love to see a race already on Saturday.

﷽“I think it makes the GP nicer for our fans, our public and ourselves.

“But I feel we must be very ꦺcareful with the crew, w🌃ith the team members, with the riders.

“Many times with extra races we’re talk🅺ing about overseas races, which put a bigger load on everybody's team members and their families.

“So I feel that we must b⛄e very careful and see if we could not slightly reduce - rather one [less event] than one more - that's a clear feeling 🐻from our side.

“When you saw the team members at the end of the season, it was like you needed to motivate some of them really to stay on board and go again for a ful꧂l season like we have. So we must be very careful there.”

Apꦬrilia Racing CEO Rivola said he was one of those to feel the extra strain.

“Personally, I finished [last] year t𝄹otally destroyed because, with the Sprint format, on Friday yo🎀u are already in qualifying mode," he said.

“So every weekend by Sunday night we were♒ quite tired, the season was tough.”

But Rivola said he would welcome more overseas races in commercially important regions, suggesting they should replace events in countries that host multiple MotoGPsܫ: Spain (4)♔ and Italy (2).

“Thinking about 21 or 22 [GPs], that m🌜eans 42 or 44 races. It's a lot, for sure,” he said.

“If we can have less than that, for sure, we get the benefit. If it's good for the sport, this is ༒something t🧸hat we need to sit down with Carmelo [Ezpeleta] and understand.

“I'm Italian, but maybe we should have less races in Italy, less races in Spain. So less raꦅces in Europe and go where the money i🌞s.

“We need big sponsors in this business. To attract them maybe we need to go - it's good🔥 to go to Indonesia. It'🎐s very good to go to India. 

"So let's go to the places where [the money is] or the market forꦛ the bikes.”

Of the 21 roun📖ds s𓆉cheduled for this season, 12 are due to be held in Europe.