2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship Season Preview

New racing format, new rules, new almost everything. Round one is in the books but there is still lots to wrap your head around when it comes to the 2023 MotoGP season.

Photography by Gold & Goose

It’s common for season previews to assert MotoGP is back and bigger than ever. But that’s really the case in 2023, rather than mere hyperbole. In terms of competition, the series has never been bigger. Not only are 21 races penned in—the longest calendar in history—with faraway, first-time stop-offs in Kazakhstan 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 countries will be a challenge like no other. It’s no wonder riders, technicians and team members alike are preparing with more than a little trepidation.

And not just because there will be more racing that ever. There is heightened competition, too with 13 World Champions, 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 Repsol Honda new boy Joan Mir has estimated 12 are potential race winners.

Series organizer Dorna hopes the sweeping changes, which include new theme music and a MotoGP rider’s parade before Sunday’s races package as well as the revamped format, attract a new, younger fanbase.

And the product should deliver, even if winter testing showed no other manufacturer has come close to taking over Ducati’s mantle as technical standard bearer in the class. Ending last year in a position of strength, the Italian factory opted for evolution over the usual off-season revolution in technical terms, refining its engine so power delivery is more rider friendly.

That, added to its already considerable strength in braking and acceleration, makes it a fearsome package. You would have to go all the way back to 2003 for the last time a manufacturer started in such a position of strength—and not just because of the quality in its factory team. In the three-day Sepang test in February, seven of the nine fastest riders were riding Bologna bullets; in Portimao a month later, Ducati occupied seven of the top eight places.

All eight look easily capable of scoring podiums in this year’s 42 outings. Seven could well win. And, going off an admittedly limited amount of testing, three should be right in the midst of the title fight. Testing has indicated reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) will face sterner tests from within. One of the year’s great subplots promises to be relations in the factory garage now that smiling assassin Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) has been installed as teammate. After a settled offseason, Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) also has everything in place to make a championship bid.

Not that Ducati will have all its own way. Some of the major technical flaws that plagued 2021 champ Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) last year have been rectified. And that’s before we get to Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), who, in his own words, is “fully recovered” from the injury woes that plagued his previous three seasons. The Bagnaia-Bastianini dynamic plus Marquez’s full return should add a touch of needle to competitive proceedings that were, at times, overly cordial last year. There’s no reason to discount any of the aforementioned names as title contenders over the nine months to come.

With practice shortened over a race weekend, it’s more important than ever to arrive to the first round with a sorted packaged. This should complement Ducati’s winter approach. Aprilia has worked diligently, making enough small gains with its evolved RS-GP to suggest 2022 was no flash in the pan. And it adds two satellite machines in RNF Racing to further bolster its ranks.

Yamaha’s enterprise couldn’t be faulted over the winter. It has rectified the issues that plagued Quartararo last term—mainly a lack of horsepower in its engine. But only a late switch back to last year’s aero and chassis settings remedied the Frenchman’s numerous issues prior to then. With teammate Franco Morbidelli still languishing, he appears set to go it alone for Yamaha once again.

And what to say of KTM and Honda? Both were lagging behind during testing, with the Austrians struggling to find rear grip despite bringing a myriad of new parts. Honda, meanwhile, appears completely lost. Only the genius of Brad Binder and Marquez can save their respective factories from here.

MotoGP Sprint – how does it work?

The biggest shake-up of the MotoGP format in history sees riders line up for the MotoGP Sprint, held over half-race distance, on Saturday afternoon, before the feature race will be held over full distance the following day.

The schedule has been revised accordingly. MotoGP now has two practice sessions on Friday (P1 and P2) the first 45 minutes long, the second an hour. The combined standings at the end of both sessions will determine who automatically qualifies for Saturday’s Q2 session, with the top 10 making the cut. A 30-minute Free Practice will precede qualifying. Q1 and Q2 will determine the grid for both Saturday and Sunday’s outings.

The Sprint will take place at 15:00 each Saturday. And the winner will score 12 points with points going all the way down to ninth place (nine for second, seven for third, then six, five and so on).

Manufacturers will likely run a smaller fuel tank for Saturday’s affair, with capacity limited to 3.17 gallons (it’s 5.81 for Sunday’s race). “The configuration of the bike will be quite different. We have some different items ready,” said Antonio Jimenez, Aleix Espargaro’s crew chief.

This will place stresses on riders like never before. “We’re a little concerned about some circuits that are very demanding on the rider,” said Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Sporting Director. “Like Austin, Mugello. Our riders are not used to this kind of stress in general. Will the riders have time to recover physically and mentally from the stress? This is another area which will probably make the championship more interesting.”

And technicians will have their hands full. Paul Trevathan, crew chief for Pol Espargaro, listed a few of the difficulties he foresees. “Bike development—forget it at the racetrack. You have two one-hour sessions and guys are stressed to get into Q2 in FP1. [Setup] will all be based on a feeling. You won’t have enough data to quantify it. That’ll make it really tough. The bike has to be an all-round package that when it rolls out on track, it’s working.

“I understand we need to do something. It’s just Saturday is going to put so much pressure on the riders. You just run out of time. We know it’s going to be a fairly intense thing. And if the bike’s not working, Jesus Christ! Then the stress factor is going to be super high. Longer meetings. Two times race data to look at. My god!”

Upping The Aero Ante

Aerodynamics are playing a greater role in MotoGP than ever. At Sepang, Yamaha and KTM tested a “diffusor” style fairing, which is aimed at accelerating airflow between the fairing and ground at full lean, following Ducati’s lead (Aprilia and Honda also used this technology last year). All five manufacturers spent a good deal of preseason experimenting with different aero packages, which don’t just limit wheelie, but improve grip midturn. The new aero war reached near farcical levels at Portimao, when Yamaha debuted a Formula1-style spoiler, mounted on its tail unit, while Aprilia sampled new winglets tacked to the swingarm of the RS-GP.

MotoGP is looking more to F1 for guidance on this matter. Ducati and Aprilia have hired several engineers formerly of Ferrari. KTM is following suit, upping the ante in 2023 by striking up a partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies to have Formula1 expertise on hand to refine its aero. “We didn’t grow our own experts enough for what’s going on in MotoGP now,” said Motorsports Director Pit Beirer. “It’s super exciting and refreshing [to work with them]. We go to the wind tunnel quite a lot. We warned about this scenario for many years—it’ll open a new hole in the budget. But we have the budget so now it’s part of our project.” In this department, Yamaha and Honda still lag behind.

Michelin’s Front Tire Pressure: to punish or not to punish?

2023 also sees the introduction of a unified tire-pressure-monitoring system for all bikes which should see riders punished for any infringements. Minimum pressure limits (1.9 bar for the front tire, 1.7 for the rear) existed last year, but each manufacturer had its own means of measuring it, meaning there was no guarantee the data was aligned or hadn’t been tampered with. It’s believed many of last year’s race winners were victorious with front tire pressures under the specified limit.

That’s set to change. Should a rider’s tire pressure drop below the required amount for a certain period of time in practice or qualifying, they’ll have the lap time cancelled. If it’s below a certain level over a certain period in a race, a rider could find themselves disqualified. These periods have yet to be defined, however. And penalties won’t be applied in the first three races, giving teams the chance to find their levels.

Running front tire pressures under 1.9 bar can have potentially disastrous consequences.

“If you don’t put enough air inside the tire, the construction is flexing,” explained Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s Head of Two Wheel Motorsport. “When it flexes you might make some rupture, the carcass could open, and it could explode.”

But riders are against this strict policing. Pressure in the front varies significantly depending on track position. Find yourself in first position and it isn’t an issue. But when stuck behind several bikes, it can rocket in a handful of laps. As Luca Marini explained, “Every rider was against this rule because it is a matter of safety that when the front pressure goes so high above 2.2 bar, it’s really easy to crash. It’s also impossible to predict the pressure to start because you want to stay inside the limit. If you’re alone on track, then perfect, but if you have two riders in front of you then your pressure will be 2.3 and you risk crashing.”

The Main Contenders

#1 Pecco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo

The Italian has grown in stature after 2022, a year when he ended Ducati’s 15-year wait for the Rider’s Championship and completed the biggest points comeback in premier-class history. He’s benefited from a settled preseason, as his manufacturer has prioritized evolving his machine over developing radical novelties. He was a step above the rest at the final preseason test, and must start as favorite to retain his crown.

#5 Johann Zarco – Pramac Ducati

A muted preseason by his standards, Zarco was the only Ducati rider outside the top nine at Sepang. But there’s no reason to think the experienced Frenchman won’t score at least a handful of podiums, even if he split from training partner Jean Michel Bayle during the winter. What’s of greater importance is the double Moto2 champ understands why he continues to underperform in the second half of seasons. He scored 56 points less in the second half of 2021 than the first, 71 less in ’22. At the age of 32 can Zarco change these old habits?

#10 Luca Marini – VR46 Ducati

Arguably the most improved rider of last year, Marini will break his premier-class podium duck sooner rather than later if testing performances are anything to go by. Quickest at both Valencia and Sepang, the cerebral Italian has taken benefit from riding Bagnaia’s title winning machine all through preseason. No reason why he can’t challenge to become the year’s best satellite contender and multiple podium finisher, even on year-old equipment.

#12 Maverick Vinales – Aprilia Racing

The Catalan’s preseason speed has never been a gauge of season-long potential. But it’s hard to envision Vinales not improving on a promising first full year with Aprilia. It took him time to master qualifying. Once he did, he racked up three podiums and nearly won at Silverstone. He’ll benefit from the ’23 RS-GP’s improved agility and better tire conservation. Reunited with old Suzuki crew chief Jose Manuel Cazeaux, he can win races this year.

#20 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha

2022 showcased a trait to go alongside the 23-year-old’s blazing talent: grit. The Frenchman simply wouldn’t lie down last year, despite losing massively on straights. Now aboard a faster engine, expect him to be vying to reclaim the crown he lost last year. His potential is without question. But Yamaha’s lack of qualifying speed, and unreliable back up from teammate Morbidelli could be his doing.

#23 Enea Bastianini – Lenovo Ducati

Big things are expected of 2022’s breakout star. He showed himself to be a master of tire management in each of his four victories last year aboard a year-old machine. And in vying with future teammate Bagnaia in high-stakes outings, his stones are without question. Yet the weight of expectation that befalls riders in Ducati’s factory team is a different beast. Should he manage that, there’s no reason to think he won’t be a title contender.

#25 Raul Fernandez – RNF Aprilia

After a rookie season of near unparalleled brilliance in Moto2, Fernandez was last year’s biggest MotoGP disappointment. Now that he’s where he wants to be, the 22-year appears happy once more. “Today was the first time I enjoyed riding the bike since 2021,” he said after the first day of testing. Reunited with ’21 crew chief Noe Herrera, he could be the year’s surprise package if his attitude is kept in check by Team Boss Wilco Zeelenberg.

#33 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM

The South African wasn’t mincing his words back at KTM’s 2023 team presentation. “I want to change fighting for that top six to hopefully be fighting amongst that top three.” And he’s right. Binder spared KTM’s blushes on more than one occasion in ’22, claiming sixth in the championship. His riding skills are without question; now it’s up to the Austrian factory to provide him with a bike that will aid his quest to regularly compete for podiums. Preseason suggests they’re still some way away.

#36 Joan Mir – Repsol Honda

Honda hired Mir on the basis of his “savage career results,” according to Team Boss Alberto Puig. But Jorge Lorenzo and Pol Espargaro, previous names to occupy this seat, serve as a warning to the 2020 MotoGP champ. Understandably, expectations are muted. “My style is to do a season from less to more and increase the intensity a little race-by-race with better feelings.”

#41 Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia Racing

As his form tailed off dramatically in the autumn of last year, it was tempting to conclude Espargaro’s 2022 would be a one off. But the veteran 33-year-old has appeared emboldened by his finest-ever season (four places and 92 points better off than he ever managed before). He’s diligently worked over preseason and could well be another rider regularly in the podium hunt this year if recent surgery has successfully cured the fibrosis in his right arm.

#72 Marco Bezzecchi – VR46 Ducati

Big things are expected of 2022’s Rookie of the Year. He ended last year strongly, scoring a maiden MotoGP pole in Thailand, and narrowly missed podium finishes in Australia and Sepang.  Crucially, the Italian understood his main weakness in 2022: a lack of aggression off the line. Bezzecchi’s slightly tepid openings resulted in him losing a total of 60 positions (eight alone in the Malaysian GP) last year on the first lap of races. Fix that and a podium return should be guaranteed.

#73 Alex Marquez – Gresini Ducati

As the younger Marquez brother has acknowledged, it’s now or never. Having ditched a useless Honda for a seat that won four races last year, there’s no hiding in Gresini, even if competing aboard a year-old bike. Testing performances were encouraging. Widely tipped to be one of the year’s surprises. Expect podiums. Plural.

#88 Miguel Oliveira – RNF Aprilia

2023 is a step into the unknown for Oliveira. For seven of the previous eight years, he was a crucial figure in KTM’s talent structure that spanned all three Grand Prix classes. Now aboard a year-old RS-GP he appears in good shape to prove KTM was wrong to give him up. Expect him to outperform the factory team on more than one occasion.

#89 Jorge Martin – Pramac Ducati

If awards were dished out for preseason, Martin would be the star. He immediately took to the Ducati’s GP23 and declared himself “ready to race” after just two days of testing. Mistakes and a tendency to flag toward the race’s end were as much his undoing in 2022 as an inability to find a base setting. But knowing his explosive one-lap speed, Martin stands to benefit from the new Sprint format like few others.

#93 Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda

Last month the eight-time champ acknowledged he’s enduring “the biggest challenge of my sporting career” as he attempts to get back on top. And given Honda’s current struggles to match Ducati’s dominance, he’s right. Yet one thing massively in his favor: a first injury-free preseason since 2017-’18 and the sense he’s returning to his physical peak after four surgeries on his right arm. He’s still won more MotoGP races (59) than the rest of the grid combined (57). Despite his bike’s shortcomings, rule him out at your peril. CN

2023 MotoGP TV Schedule on NBC and CNBC

(subject to change)

Click here for all the latest MotoGP news.

 

Click here to read the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship Season Preview in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.

 

Click here to see all the TV and Live-Stream Racing Listings on Cycle News.