At last weekend’s Austrian MotoGP, one of the biggest changes ever made in the history of the sport was announced.
From 2023 MotoGP weekends will, for the first time ever, feature not one but two races, with the introduction of a new sprint race.
Taking the place of one of the four practice sessions currently held over a weekend, the new sprint race will be held on Saturday, taking up half the distance, and half the points, of the main GP race held on the Sunday.
The introduction of the sprint race appears to have been brought about in an attempt by organizers Dorna to add an extra level of excitement and intrigue, in a bid to combat dwindling television figures and track-side attendances for the series.
In some ways, this will certainly do that. Taking out a practice session and bringing in another race over the course of the weekend means adding in more competitive and meaningful action, more likely delivering the drama that people want from the sport.
Indeed, the reduced length of the sprint races, means there is less time for riders to make their decisive move, meaning they will have to do so more quickly in search of those all-important points, adding to the pressure and tension that draws many people into a sporting event.
But while that means the addition of sprint races should work in terms of adding excitement to the series, whether it will be enough to bring more viewers and spectators to the series, is arguably another issue altogether.
Looking at the attendance figures for the British MotoGP at Silverstone earlier this month, it is easy to see why Dorna are so desperate to bring fans back to the series.
In 2021, as the circuit reopened its gates to MotoGP fans after a year away due to the pandemic, 67,000 were present for Sunday’s race day.
By contrast, race day for this year’s event at Silverstone, saw attendances drop majorly to just over 41,000 fans.
What is perhaps most notable about that though, is the fact that figure for this year’s Sunday race, which was just 9,000 higher than the attendance had been for qualifying just a day before.
Indeed, with the Silverstone MotoGP weekend’s overall attendance dropping by 42,000 from 2021 to 2022, and around 26,000 of that coming in the fall from the 2021 race day to the 2022 race day, it could be argued that the most significant drop is not among those die-hard fans who would generally make a weekend out of the event, but among the more casual viewers, who elect to make out for the main event of race day.
As a result, it is those more casual fans who Dorna may arguably need to target, and that may not be the easiest thing to do with the addition of a sprint race.
What the addition of a sprint race does, is means there are now even more races that fans to watch, if they are to get the full experience and insight, when it comes to what is going on in the battle for the Championship.
That is, however, not going to be easy for people to do. In this country, in particular, Saturday is the day when the nation’s favorite sport of football largely takes center stage, meaning the sprint race, that looks set to take place at the same time as when most of the weekend’s footballing action takes place on a Saturday afternoon, will have plenty of competition among sports fans.
Beyond that, it should also be remembered that as the center point of a weekend, Saturday is a day when many people are most likely going to be trying to get out and about, making the most of their time off work.
As a result, it is possible that potential more casual fans, who would not be tuning in for qualifying anyway, will find it difficult to break up their plans for the day, potentially for the purpose of watching one sprint race that is likely to run for less than half an hour, particularly if they are to do the same for the main event – including the Moto3 and Moto2 races as well as GP – the following day as well.
It could also be argued that the addition of a sprint race on the Saturday might struggle to have much of an impact on attendances.
As has already been mentioned, in cases such as Silverstone, and the iconic Italian GP at Mugello earlier in the year, it is attendances on the traditional Sunday race day that have dropped so badly.
The fact that the sprint race takes place on Saturday though, means that fans considering going on the Sunday will still be being offered the same thing they were this year, so it may not make much of difference in influencing the decision-making of a more casual fan, when they come to choose whether or not to spend their money on a day out at the GP.
In terms of the Saturday as well, the fact that a sprint race will mean more than a practice session, ensures that people who do attend on that day, will be getting more for their experience.
However, that, in turn, could mean that the circuits hosting the events, feel they are entitled to charge a higher admission fee, due to the fact they are providing a better spectacle than they previously have, and that they too need to recoup funds somewhere
Considering the fact that the rising cost of living is one of the factors that has been attributed to the drops in attendance this year, that could also make it harder for fans, die-hard or casual, to afford to attend races, further exposing to the series to the threat of that drop in attendance.
It seems, therefore, that while the additions of sprint races should certainly add to the drama of MotoGP, whether or not it actually impacts the number of people watching the sport, may be far less clear.
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