Doha, Qatar: Excitement is reaching a fever pitch as the MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar 2023 gears up to make its return to the Lusail International Circuit (LIC) in just four days.
The thrilling weekend of racing, scheduled from Friday, November 17, to Sunday, November 19, is set to attract motorsport enthusiasts and fans worldwide to Qatar for a high-energy weekend of motorsport. Adding an extra layer of thrill, Qatar will host MotoGP's inaugural sprint race, an exciting addition to the 2023 racing calendar, taking place on Saturday.
What is the MotoGP Tissot sprint race?
Introducing a heightened level of excitement for both riders and spectators, the sprint race is a fast and intense battle where competitors go head-to-head in a race covering half the distance of Sunday’s Grand Prix. The top nine finishers will vie for up to 12 world championship points: P1-12 points, P2-9 points, P3-6 points, P4-5 points, P5-4 points, P6-3 points, P7-2 points, P8-1 point.
Grid positions for the sprint are determined based on the results of the morning’s two qualifying sessions, with the same grid set to feature in Sunday’s main race.
How is the racing schedule divided across the three-day weekend?
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Friday: Free Practice 1 (45 mins) followed by Practice (60 mins) where riders are timed for entry into Q2.
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Saturday: Free Practice 2 (30 mins); Qualifying 1 (15 mins); Qualifying 2 (15 mins); MotoGP Sprint.
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Sunday: Warm Up (10 mins), Grand Prix race.
Are there different technical rules for the MotoGP sprint race?
While most current regulations remain in place for the sprint race, there are some key differences:
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Fuel loads are limited to an allowance of 12 liters for the sprint instead of the 22 liters allowed for the Grand Prix.
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Adjustments to track limit rules for the sprint race, reducing the number of allowed infringements before a penalty from five to three.
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Any penalty incurred in the sprint race that cannot be immediately served will carry over into the main Grand Prix.
Tickets and hospitality packages for the entire race weekend, two-day access, or single-day access can be purchased online on the official Lusail International Circuit website.
