The countdown is now well underway with less than 10 days separating MotoGP™ riders, teams and, of course, fans from the start of the most historic season to date. The 2023 MotoGP™ World Championship will not only mark the 75th edition in the history of the Motorcycle World Championship but we'll also see the 1000th Grand Prix at Le Mans in May. Plus, we'll reach an unprecedented number of 21 Grands Prix in 21 different destinations, with 21 races and 21 MotoGP™ Sprints.
CHANGES TO THE CALENDAR
As for the calendar, this time it will be the Autódromo Internacional del Algarve in Portugal that will kick off the new season with the Portuguese Grand Prix. It will be the first season to start in European territory since 2006, and only the third season opener held in Europe in more than three decades. It will also be the first time that Portugal hosted the first race of the calendar.
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However, this will not be the only change to the calendar compared to previous seasons. For example, in 2023 Indonesia will join the autumn Asian tour, instead of being the second GP of the year as in 2022, while the Catalunya GP will be held in September. Plus, the traditional first round, the Qatar GP, will be the penultimate race of the season as development work continues at the venue. All this makes the 2023 season the most innovative, longest and, above all, the most adventurous in history. Take a look at the new countries that the World Championship paddock will visit throughout the year:
Kazakhstani Grand Prix
Portugal, Argentina, Austin, Jerez, France, Mugello, Sachsenring, Assen... These will be the first eight stops of the championship that will surely bring real emotion to the title chase. However, the big first novelty of the 2023 calendar will come just after that early run with the Kazakhstan GP from July 7 to 9 at the Sokol International Racetrack.
The Kazakh track is a 4,495-metre circuit, with 12 turns (8 right and 4 left) and was designed by the renowned German architect Hermann Tilke, the brain behind other circuits such as Sepang, MotorLand Aragon, COTA, the Buddh Circuit in India and Buriram. Kazakhstan will become the 30th country to host a MotoGP™ World Championship race since its inception in 1949, while the Sokol International Racetrack will be the 74th venue to host a Grand Prix and will do so for the next 5 seasons.
Indian Grand Prix
In September, following the summer break, the paddock will once again make a historic debut as it lands at the Buddh International Circuit for the Indian Grand Prix organized by FairStreet Sports, which will be the fourteenth round. Located in Uttar Pradesh, on the outskirts of the city of Greater Noida, just an hour from the capital New Delhi, the Buddh International Circuit is bound to bring real flavour to the MotoGP™ calendar. The Indian track, which was built between 2007 and 2009, has a capacity of 110,000 spectators and a length of 5.137 kilometers with 16 corners (9 right-handers and 7 left-handers). It runs clockwise and, like the Sokol International Racetrack in Kazakhstan, this track was also designed by renowned German architect Hermann Tilke.
MotoGP™ EXPANDS ITS HORIZONS
India will arrive after the summer break following races at Silverstone, Austria, Catalunya, and San Marino, while the final part of the season will immerse the MotoGP™ paddock in the Asian tour with races in Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia before reaching Qatar and finally facing the thrilling season finale in Valencia. Check out HERE the calendar for the 2023 MotoGP™ season so you don't miss a thing.