Alex Marquez Calls for Radical Cut to MotoGP Sprints

Pulse Sports Team 12:08 - 22 October 2026

Gresini rider Alex Marquez believes MotoGP must slash its sprint race count by at least half to shield younger riders from the championship's increasingly grueling and dangerous schedule.

The premier class introduced sprint races in 2023 following Formula 1's blueprint. However, unlike the four-wheel series, MotoGP opted for a far more aggressive approach by staging a sprint at every single round, driving the total number of race starts up to 44 per season.

The workload is set to ramp up even further from 2027, when a new format featuring dedicated sprint qualifying sessions is slated to take effect. The planned changes have already drawn sharp criticism from riders at the Indonesian Grand Prix earlier this month.

Marquez reiterated his concerns over the extreme demands placed on the grid, warning that the youngest riders are the most vulnerable. In his view, the only sensible move is to drastically cut back on sprint events.

"I think they are asking too much of the riders in terms of on-track exertion," the Gresini rider said in Australia. "The risks are huge—we are getting faster and faster, and the number of laps spent riding on the absolute limit is constantly rising. The new regulations aim for more of a show, but a bigger spectacle comes with higher risk. I'm convinced the introduction of sprints has led to more injuries."

The Spaniard emphasized the urgent need to protect the championship's next generation of talent:

"I'm already 30, so it doesn't make much difference to me whether I retire a year earlier or later. But management needs to think about young riders like Pedro Acosta, Fermin Aldeguer, and the rest. They're only in their early 20s, and coping with such a packed calendar is going to be incredibly tough on them. We need to create long-term heroes for the sport, not flash-in-the-pan riders. Sprints should be reduced by at least half, with six or seven per season being the ideal scenario."