Sprint races were brought into MotoGP for the 2023 season, applying to every round of the MotoGP class calendar. The change followed a broader trend in elite motorsport toward supplementary sprint formats, most prominently established in Formula One from 2021, though the MotoGP sprint concept was rolled out across all events immediately rather than at a selected subset of rounds.
Sprint races are approximately half the length of the corresponding full Grand Prix, covering roughly half the number of laps. Riders accumulate points from the sprint result separately from the main race, with sprint points awarded at approximately half the value of the equivalent finish in a full Grand Prix. A sprint race victory earns 12 points compared to 25 for a Sunday Grand Prix win.
The sprint takes place on Saturday of the race weekend. The full Grand Prix continues to be held on Sunday as the primary points-scoring event. Both races draw on the same qualifying results for grid positions, with the Q2 qualifying session determining the starting order for both the sprint on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The addition of sprint races significantly increased the total number of points available across a season. Riders and teams must manage engine allocation, tyre wear, and physical fatigue across two competitive races per weekend rather than one, which places additional operational demands on teams and riders alike.
The format also changed the character of Saturday at a Grand Prix. Previously the Saturday schedule was structured around practice and qualifying, with racing reserved entirely for Sunday. Under the sprint format, Saturday becomes a day with both qualifying stakes and race consequences, compressing the competitive intensity of the weekend.
Each MotoGP Grand Prix follows a format in which qualifying determines the starting grid, with the fastest qualifier taking pole position. The main Sunday race runs for approximately 45 minutes, completed without fuel or tyre stops. The sprint adheres to the same basic structure at half the race distance.
The flag-to-flag rule, which has allowed riders since 2005 to pit and switch to a wet-weather machine if rain falls during a dry-start race, applies to both the sprint and the Grand Prix. Riders may exchange their race bike for an identical machine fitted with different tyres — wet-weather bikes also use steel brake rotors in place of the carbon discs standard in dry conditions.
The sprint race format attracted varied reactions within the paddock. Some riders and teams welcomed the additional racing opportunities and the increased points on offer each weekend. Others raised concerns about the added physical and mechanical demands of effectively doubling the number of races across a season. The compressed weekend schedule also prompted debate about recovery time between the Saturday sprint and Sunday Grand Prix.
The format remained in place through subsequent seasons, becoming an established feature of the modern MotoGP calendar.