Eight months have passed since the announcement of the introduction of sprint races for the 2023 MotoGP season. That time frame has given rise to countless debates and disagreements between some about the suitability of the formula that finally made its debut last weekend in Portugal.
The evaluation of this first experience was most positive from the spectacle, commercial and promotional point of view, and the conclusion could not be more positive on the part of the promoters of the event: “The truth is that we are very happy.”
FEATURE: Ten things we learned from the MotoGP Portuguese GP
The reactions have been very positive, both from the holders of the audiovisual rights, as well as from the partners and also from the teams. As is normal, there will be things we will have to fine-tune, especially some of the protocols. But, in general, “we are delighted with the result,” summarised Carlos Ezpeleta, sporting director of Dorna, the promoter of the MotoGP world championship, in a chat with Autosport in the paddock of the Algarve circuit.
“On Friday, important things were already in dispute. And Saturday is a ramp that ratchets up the tension until the sprint, which also acts as a hook for Sunday’s race,” added the executive, who, despite his satisfaction, is far from oblivious to the most negative aspect of the first stop on the calendar. “The worst news was the injuries, but I think they are all unrelated to the format.”
Ezpeleta’s opinion contrasts with that of those who in recent hours have unequivocally pointed to the new dynamic of the weekend as the trigger for the accumulation of injuries left behind by the race at the Algarve circuit. The most serious of all is the one that will keep Pol Espargaro out of competition for several months, after the Tech3 GASGAS rider’s accident on Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, Ducati’s Enea Bastianini broke his right scapula after Luca Marini collided with him during the early stages of the sprint, and Marc Marquez and Miguel Oliveira were the two worst victims of the crash caused by the Honda rider on the third lap of Sunday’s race and added to the pile of absentees for Argentina. Jorge Martin, who will be in Argentina with a broken toe and a sprained right foot, was also hit in the Marquez strike. Marquez’s mistake hardly has anything to do with the rethinking of the weekend.
The dynamics of this action has been seen before in countless cases, as for example, last year in Montmelo in the mishap…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Autosport.com – MotoGP – Stories…