That's it, this week begins the World Championship MotoGP with the Qatar Grand Prix on the Losail circuit, from March 8 to 10!
We will therefore have to get used to the new team colors, the new team composition, the manufacturers benefiting from concessions, and, in Moto2 and Moto3, the arrival of Pirelli tires.
But that's not all because the weekend format continues to evolve after the upheaval that took place last year with the addition of Sprint races. These not only changed the course of the weekend, but also the name and duration of certain sessions, as well as leading to the elimination of the Moto2 and Moto3 warm-ups.
Thus, we went from four practice sessions, three of which counted for direct passage to Qualification-2, to three sessions all counting for said passage. Then, from mid-season, the first session was removed from this role and was renamed Free Practice instead of Practice, to respond to the numerous requests from drivers subjected to the double stress of having to adapt their settings to the circuit and track conditions, while ensuring a time for Q2.
The “big brothers” having obtained satisfaction from the organization, the Moto2 and Moto3 riders pointed out that it was the same for them; three pre-qualifying sessions starting on Friday morning…
It was therefore logical that the authorities, Dorna Sports, IRTA and FIM, decided to grant them the same treatment, the first session counting this year “for nothing”. Enough to work peacefully for 35 minutes for Moto3, 40 for Moto2. In other words, this Friday morning session will not count for direct passage to Q2.
We obviously use the same nomenclature, Free Practice (FP) for the first session on Friday morning, then Practice 1 (P1) for that of Friday afternoon and Practice 2 (P2) for that of Saturday morning. Qualification-1 (Q1) and Qualification-2 (Q2) will follow, with the 14 fastest drivers in the combined P1-P2 ranking moving directly to Q2.
Ultimately, it's quite logical, if not simple...
2024 format:
2023 format:
2022 format:
Program credit: Dorna Sports
