MotoGP 2023 calendar: 20 rounds, 40 races
MotoGP 2023 calendar
Portuguese GP - Portimao
March 24-26
Argentina GP - Termas de Rio Hondo
March 31-April 2
Americas GP - Circuit of the Americas
April 14-16
Spanish GP - Jerez
April 28-30
Jerez test
May 1
French GP - Le Mans
May 12-14
Italian GP - Mugello
June 9-11
German GP - Sachsenring
June 16-18
Dutch GP - Assen
June 23-25
British GP - Silverstone
August 4-6
Austrian GP - Red Bull Ring
August 18-20
Catalan GP - Barcelona
September 1-3
San Marino GP - Misano
September 8-10
Misano test
September 11
Indian GP - Buddh
September 22-24
Japanese GP - Motegi
September 29-October 1
Indonesian GP - Mandalika
October 13-15
Australian GP - Phillip Island
October 20-22
Thai GP - Chang
October 27-29
Malaysian GP - Sepang
November 10-12
Qatar GP - Lusail
November 17-19
Valencia GP - Ricardo Tormo
November 24-26
MotoGP was set♛ for an all-time high 21 rounds, and 42 races, and hoped to visit 18 different countries this year, including two new countries. But the Kazakhstan MotoGP on July 7-9 - a brand new location - has been cancelled due to homologation works.
India is the sole the new add🃏ition, while Aragon steps down to reduce the Spanish-based events to three (Italy is the other repeat visit). Finland remains absent💖.
That notably means ‘flyaway’ events, held outside Europe, will now comprise almost half (nine) of the 20-r🦹ound calendarꦜ: Argentina, America, India, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Qatar.
Once MotoGP leaves Misano on Sep♌tember 10, there won’t be another competitive lap in Europe until Friday practice for the Valencia finale on Novemb﷽er 24.
Notably, every round in 2023 will feature a 🎉Sprint race on the Saturday.
Covid aside, MotoGP - like F1- has been gradually ‘rebalancing’ its calendars with most new events located outside Europe (KymiRing was t🧜o be the exception). Saudi Arabia is among the planned future destinations.
Such worldwide expansion offers the chance to present MotoGP in front of a n♒ew audience but also requires additional travel and logistical costs.
“Well, my wife will change the locks with this calendar," joked 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Rins.
“But no, apart from the joke, it's nice to discover new places, new tracks. For sure if it will be harder because we will be away from home more, but it looks good🎉.”
Jack Miller: ‘I like the look of it’
As one of the non-European riders, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jack Miller had to move halfwa♛y across the world to pursue his MotoGP dream.
“We've got a big calendar on, but I like the look of it,”🍸 said Miller, who will switch from Ducati to KTM next seaꦆson.
“I like the idea of that, spreading it out. I like taking MotoGP all around the world. I think that's the go♔al and that's how it should be.
“The [schedule] itself looks good. The last race is at the end of November so we're stopping a little bit later, but it kicks off a little bit later [Portimao, March 24-26]. There are also two decent breaks in the middle, after Le Mans and before Silverstone. So the boys should be able to catch up at home.”Aprilia’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Maverick Vinales also understood the need to take Mo🌟toGP into new countries.
“I think it’s very important to go to new countries and improve the community of MotoGP. We must improve and grow. We mꦍust become the most important sport in the world.
“For me it’s great [because] of course I love racing. India is important for us, because I can see many fans for us in India, like🌳 Indonesia. It will improve MotoGP a lot. 💧It’s good news for me.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Miguel Oliveira said: “Very exciting to go to new places and it’s a step forward. We are getting more time out of Europe, especially at the end of the year, which will be a ♔challenge.”
‘Tough and demanding’
Vinales’ team-mate and current title contender 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro, who at 33 will become𒉰 the oldest full-time rider on the grid next season, labelled the fu📖ture calendar as ‘tough and ‘demanding’.
The Spaniard highlighted that the last eight rounds will be take place in just ten🎀 weekends.
India-Japan will be back-to-back, followed by a weekend off. Then th🌊ere will be an Indonesia-Australia-Thailand triple header follo♏wed by a weekend off, then another triple header of Malaysia-Qatar-Valencia.
“Very tough. It will be very demanding physically 🎉and mentally, with the sprint races and the new tracks,” Espargaro said. Especially in the last part of the year, it will be tough to do three consecutive races, twice, so far from home.
“I will try to organise as much as possible with my team and my family, maybe I will travel𒉰 more with my kids. Let’s see how I will organise. I have the feeling that the last part will be very demanding for the riders and everybody in the paddock.”
From 20 to 40 MotoGP races ‘a big marathon’
The creation of the168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: new Saturday afternoon Sprint means the number of MotoGP races next seaso♚n will instantly double, from 20 to 40.
The Sprints will not technically be called grands pri🍷x and💧 only half points will be awarded for the half-distance races.
But a MotoGP race is a MotoGP race in terms of physical and mental commitment. Not to mention risk, whic🐼h some paddock members believe will ♑be higher for the Sprints, due to the importance of being near the front on the opening lap.
“The new format gives us a little bit more stress and it will be funny to have many back-to-back races and the chance to score points twic🦩e in a weekend will affect everyone,” said Oliveira, w꧟ho is switching from KTM to RNF Aprilia next season.
“The riders will need to look🅘 it as a big, big marathon and not stress too much [at each race]. It will take some time to adapt to it.”
“For me🐲, 20 [rounds] is on the limit,” Rins said. When it was pointed out that it will also be 40 individual races, he added: “For sure it’s the limit, no m🍬ore!”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Remy Gardner, leaving MotoGP at the end o💯f his rookie season and joining WorldSBK next year, said: “I wish you guys the best of luck!”
Ara-gone: ‘Fabio will be happy!’
While the new event in India made headlines, it has come at t🐈he expense of Aragon, which has been part of the MotoGP calendar every year since 2010.
Aragon, like Barcelona and Valencia, had already agreeಌd to alternate its MotoGP event (rather than continue hosting every year) with other Spanish rounds due to the impending calendar expansion.
That ♏means Aragon could well be back for the 2024 season, having agreed to host ‘at least three races between 2022-2026’ includ🔴ing this September’s event.
Nonetheless, some riders will miss the annual Aragon race, with reigning champion168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Fabio Quartararo perhaps the notable exception.
“I hope we never go back again!” joked Quartararo, referring to his poor record and bad luck at the Aragon circuit, including this year’s opening-lap collision with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez. “Now we will have a little bit more engine 🌠[for 2023] we will not go back!”
“It's a shame [to lose Aragon]… For sure Fabio will be happy!” smiled Rins. “But for🍬 us, it's a good place t🐎o ride. It's more of a home GP than Montmelo for example. But it is what it is, we will have to go there with the stock [road] bike to train!”
Ducati's title contender 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Francesco Bagnaia also has fond memories of Aragon, including his debut 2021꧅ MotoGP victory over Marc Marquez and runner-up🅘 finish to Enea Bastianini this season.
“We won't go 🔴to Aragon, for me that's not so good,” Bagnaia said. “But in any case, we were already doing four races in Spain, so it's correct to leave space to another country.
“I'm quite looking forward to ride in ꦬIndia because it's a new track, I always like when w꧅e go to new tracks. For sure we will be away from home for a long-time next year.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years an🍰d has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of theꦛ Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
