Fridays in MotoGP™ are changing! After unanimous agreement between the MotoGP™ Class Teams, the Grand Prix Commission has approved a proposal to change the sessions timed for entry into Qualifying 2… and now, it all comes down to Friday afternoon!
The first premier class practice session of a Grand Prix weekend will no longer be timed for qualifying/entry into Qualifying 2, so it’s now called Free Practice 1 and is just that – a completely free 45-minute session that riders, teams and factories can use to set up, dial in and anything else.
The second, 60-minute practice session on Friday afternoons will now be named Practice. It will be the sole practice session timed for entry into Q2… promising quite a spicy crescendo to the day! Come rain or shine or anything else, that one hour session is when riders need to set those fast laps to secure a place in the top ten and that crucial spot in Q2 qualifying.
Here’s the full rundown of the weekend for the MotoGP™ class from the Monster Energy British Grand Prix onwards:
• Friday
− Free Practice 1 (FP1): 45 mins
− Practice (PR): 60 mins, timed for entry into Q2
• Saturday
− Free Practice 2 (FP2): 30 mins
− Qualifying 1 (Q1): 15 mins
− Qualifying 2 (Q2): 15 mins
− MotoGP™ Tissot Sprint (SPR)
• Sunday
− Warm Up (WUP): 10 mins
− Race (RACE)
For the scholars of the sport, the updates will be made here: https://www.fim-moto.com/en/sports/view/fim-world-championship-grand-prix-4327
Make sure to tune in for the first new-look weekend of an already blockbuster 2023 from the 4th to the 6th of August at the magnificent Silverstone circuit!