live TV coverage have hit viewing
figures badly in important mar-
kets, while this year's Amazon
documentary intended to emu-
late F1's super-popular "Drive to
Survive" has flopped.
Others are circumstantial.
Rossi's departure has hurt.
His merchandise still sells and
yellow-clad fans are still at
races, living in the past. Crowd
numbers at Mugello's Italian
GP were 43,600-odd on race
Sunday—40,000 down on 2019,
55,000 fewer than in 2017.
The absence of Marc Mar-
quez has added to this effect,
with the best in the world—Quar-
tararo, Bagnaia and Bastianini—
lacking the same sort of star
quality.
Add processional racing with
little overtaking and the phrase
"perfect storm" comes to mind.
Thus the decision for an extra
Saturday race smacks of some
desperation.
Actually an extra half race.
The Sprint Race will run over
half distance, and carrying half
points.
Will it be half as popular?
Reactions inside the paddock
were mixed. But some initial
hostility softened overnight,
with Fabio Quartararo one who,
when he learned more details,
went from calling it "stupid" to
saying "I changed my mind."
Those in favor, and there were
more than just the three bosses
at the conference table, were
"I
f you don't go forward, you
take a step backwards."
Articulated by IRTA presi-
dent Herve Poncharal, this was
the three-strong mantra from the
stage, as Dorna, the FIM and
IRTA joined forces to announce
a sea change in the World
Championship.
The step forward?
A Saturday afternoon Sprint
Race at every grand prix week-
end, starting next year.
The need for this step? An
accumulation of problems, some
in themselves fairly minor, that
have put MotoGP on the back
foot, after a long spell of boom-
ing health.
Some are of Dorna's own
making—increasing paywalls for
P130
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III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
TRACK IDOL –
MOTOGP'S NEW
REALITY TV
