VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P89
I
t's common for season pre-
views to assert MotoGP is
back and bigger than ever.
But that's really the case in
2023, rather than mere hyper-
bole. In terms of competition,
the series has never been
bigger. Not only are 21 races
penned in—the longest calen
-
dar in history—with faraway,
first-time stop-offs in Kazakh-
stan and India penciled in, the
introduction of MotoGP Sprint
swells the schedule to levels
of intensity never seen before.
A short Saturday race (run
at half distance of Sunday's
Blue Ribbon event) at each
round means riders face a
whopping 42 races over a
hectic nine months where
a grand total of 777 points
are on offer (277 more than
2022). The 21 rounds that lie
ahead in 18 different coun
-
tries will be a challenge like
no other. It's no wonder riders,
technicians and team mem
-
bers alike are preparing with
more than a little trepidation.
And not just because there
will be more racing that ever.
There is heightened competi
-
tion, too with 13 World Cham-
pions, who have amassed 24
titles among them, lining up
on the 22-rider grid. As many
as 16 of them are potential
podium finishers, while Rep
-
sol Honda new boy Joan Mir
has estimated 12 are poten-
tial race winners.
The 21 rounds that lie
ahead in 18 different
countries will pose
a challenge for the
riders and their crews
like never before.
BIGGER
BIGGER
