Fabio Quartararo highlights where MotoGP should “copy F1” with sprint races
Fabio Quartararo believes there should be fewer sprints on the MotoGP calendar
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo says MotoGP should “copy” Formula 1 in hosting fewer sprints during a season, in response to reports about the introduction of a sprint qualifying.
MotoGP introduced the sprint format in 2023, several years after F1 first trialled its own version.
But MotoGP differed from F1’s approach by staging sprints at every round of the season, rather than six. For 2027, F1 will stage 10 sprints.
F1 also eventually added separate qualifying sessions for sprint races, which is something MotoGP is now reportedly discussing.
How this will slot into an already busy weekend schedule remains to be seen. Still, Fabio Quartararo believes that if a separate qualifying session is to be added, there should be fewer sprint races in total.
“I have no idea, to be honest,” he began when asked about sprint qualifying.
“But my opinion on the sprint is that, if they want to do it like F1, we should have the same amount of sprint races as F1.
“For me, this should be what we need to do.
“I’m happy with 10, even with 12 I’d be happy! But it’s really intense.
“The amount of stress that we have and everything during the starts, for the safety also, which we know in the start it’s the most dangerous. If they want to do a sprint qualifying, then I think we need to copy exactly as F1.”
“We are not the ones who decide”
The sprint qualifying proposal comes just a few years after riders found out that sprint races would be introduced for 2023 through the media.
But without a proper union, riders have little say in the direction of the championship.
Asked if MotoGP should consult the riders more, Quartararo said: “They added the sprints without really asking.
“Now that we do the sprints, for sure they will not [change].
“We are here to ride. If they tell us to do 22 sprints, we do 22 sprints.
“If they tell us to do 12, we do 12. But we are not the ones who decide what we have to do. [If we have to do two qualifying sessions] we will do two qualifying sessions, even three.”
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