Like them or lump them, sprint races are here to stay in MotoGP. Their introduction may have been sudden and overwhelming, but the primary aim of them was to get more people interested in the series. And a look at the trackside figures for 2023 reveals that was definitely the case.
Of the 20 rounds run in 2023, 15 events showed an uptick in Saturday attendance compared to 2022. Of the rest, Austin’s figures are not available, India was a first-time event, Indonesia and Argentina dipped slightly, while Australia’s schedule was altered due to the weather, meaning the GP ran on Saturday. Overall, 16 events topped their 2022 figures.
There are some caveats to this that must be factored in. The 2022 season was still very much in the throes of the COVID hangover, and so some events were likely to have been affected by that. The French GP saw an all-time attendance record of 278,805 last year. But France has two immensely popular riders and Claude Michy’s promotion of the event – as well as its cost-effectiveness for the average punter – has always made Le Mans something of an exception rather than the rule.
But cause and effect must also be considered: MotoGP adding an entertaining alternative to a fourth practice does coincide with a strong year of trackside attendance. And so, Dorna Sports deserves credit for its push to evolve a series that has run stagnant in recent years.
But the fact none of the 39 races run in 2023 in either sprint or grand prix format featured the entire 2023 grid is a worrying statistic that comes alongside last year being the highest-crashing campaign in over a decade.
A total of 358 crashes were registered in the MotoGP class across the 20-round season last year from a sample given to the media by Dorna dating back to 2010. That year saw the lowest tally in this span of 134 – back when only 17 full-time riders on the grid contested 18 rounds, versus 22 riders last season.
Compared to 2022 at 335 crashes however, there was only an increase in in 23. Of the year’s total, 49 came in the sprints. Of the nine riders who missed races last year, five of them suffered injuries in sprints; Enea Bastianini in Portugal, Luca Marini in India, Miguel Oliveira in Qatar, Joan Mir in Argentina, and Alex Rins in Italy.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Bastianini was the first casualty of a sprint race in 2023 when he was injured on his Ducati works team debut
Most crashes,…
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