2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo thrilled about the introduction of Sprint Races

2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo thrilled about the introduction of Sprint Races

Fabio Quartararo

MotoGP will be introducing the Sprint Race format in 2023. These will be half-distance races with half-points on offer and will have no consequence on the starting grid for the main grand prix. 2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo is highly motivated about the introduction of the new system and hopes to gain many valuable championship points through the sprint races.

The Sprint race format was introduced as a part of MotoGP’s re-positioning strategy in the midst of a drop in viewership. In a bid to understand what needed changing, a fan survey was conducted. An overwhelming majority suggested the idea of incorporating sprint races into the regular schedule. MotoGP hopes the introduction of sprint races will add to rivalries, increase on-track action and in return grow the viewership and hence MotoGP’s value.

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Notably, Formula One and The World Super Bike Championship have previously introduced sprint races into the regular calendar. This move has seen a positive growth in interest by the fans owing to more action and higher stakes. MotoGP is eyeing a similar result to their introduction of sprint races. While Quartararo was initially skeptical of the introduction of this format, he has grown to appreciate it.

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“This year will be different,” Fabio Quartararo excited about 2023 challenge

Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo

In a recent interview, Quartararo revealed his enthusiasm for the new format.  “This year will be different and you need to quickly adapt to the new format. We will need to be super smart and the team will need to understand how quickly we have to adapt, race by race,” the Frenchman said. Upon being asked if tire wear will be a concerning factor owing to the extra mileage, Quartararo said, “We aren’t going to have concerns about the tyres. Regarding fuel, we will still have a regulation [on capacity], let’s see. I don’t have a lot of information about it, but it’s going to be fantastic”.

While the introduction of sprint races is certainly an exciting addition for existing fans, the motive behind the move is to attract new fans to the sport. Whether or not this strategy has proven to be successful will be evident when viewership numbers for 2023 are made public. It will be fascinating to see if the addition on-track action will lead to an increase in popularity of the sport.

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