Riders ready to chase new champion in longest MotoGP season

The long and enthralling race to be the 2023 MotoGP world champion begins at Portugal this weekend as riders brace themselves for the longest season ever

Across 21 events and 42 races, 22 riders will push the limits of their 1000cc rocket ship motorbikes in the 75th season of the premier class.

In the biggest format shakeup in decades, a sprint race running half of the Grand Prix distance will be held on each Saturday with half points on offer for the top nine.

It has also altered the flow of each weekend with Friday featuring two practice sessions and the combined times will determine who goes directly into Q2 and avoids the Q1 knockout.

Qualifying begins immediately after FP3 on Saturday morning where the grids for both the sprint and Grand Prix will be determined.

The shorter races have been introduced to boost fading interest in the category despite MotoGP never lacking in wheel to wheel action.

With more events than ever, a new reigning champion and the addition of sprint races, there is a sense of racing into the unknown in 2023.

Bagnaia looking tough to stop

Francesco Bagnaia celebrates his 2022 MotoGP title. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

The rider everyone is trying to catch is Francesco Bagnaia, who brought Ducati back to the top for the first time since Australia’s Casey Stoner won the title in 2007.

Bagnaia soared to the championship after completing a remarkable comeback. The Ducati rider trailed Yamaha’s main man Fabio Quartararo by 91 points mid-season before prevailing by 17.

Four straight wins put Bagnaia on the course for victory as Quartararo’s campaign stalled, not winning any of the last nine Grands Prix to make the staggering 108-point swing possible.

Boosted by his maiden championship, Bagnaia has carried his momentum into 2023 by topping pre-season testing with an unofficial lap record at Portimao with a 1:37.968.

In an ominous sign for the season, Ducati swept all five days of winter testing after the Italian manufacturer claimed 16 of the 20 poles on offer in 2022.

Bagnaia has a new teammate in the red overalls with four-time race winner Enea Bastianini stepping up to Ducati from Gresini.

Bastianini compiled an impressive sophomore season where he went from 11th in 2021 to third in the 2022 championship.

Francesco Bagnaia, and Enea Bastianini will be battling for inter-team honours at Ducati.Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

The Italian could be Bagnaia’s biggest championship threat after the pair clashed on multiple occasions throughout 2022.

Their rivalry even escalated to the stage where the eventual world champion did not want him as a teammate because he would be “a problem” but now with both Italians wearing red, the gloves will be off.

In addition to the factory team, the satellite squads of Prima Pramac Racing, Gresini Racing and Mooney VR46 Racing Team will also be contenders in their Ducati rocket ships.

Miller settling in to new surroundings 

Jack Miller has shaped Ducati red for KTM blue in 2023. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images)

Bastianini replaces Australia’s Jack Miller, who is taking on his ninth season in the premier class in new colours.

Miller is racing for KTM after losing his ride at Ducati despite scoring a special triumph in Japan.

Although KTM finished second in the teams standings last year, it struggled in pre-season testing with Miller finishing 17th, 0.941s off Bagnaia.

The 28-year-old will be racing alongside South African Brad Binder, who fell one point short of the Aussie in the fight for fifth in last year’s championship.

Miller said he is targeting a top 10 finish in the first race at his new home.

“I’m under a second to Pecco (Bagnaia), who was nearly 0.6 seconds quicker than the lap record, so we are getting there,” Miller told MotoGP.com.

“It’s just trying to understand it, trying to get comfortable with the bike to try some different things to improve.

“It just takes some time. But I think we’re getting to a decent spot before the first race.

“I feel very comfortable now – (the last day of testing) was a big step in terms of comfort level on the bike.

“Let’s say (we’re aiming for) top 10 at this point. We can be inside that top 10 here, especially with everyone doing testing and whatnot.

“Racing is always different, so we’ll keep positive. I believe firmly that we can get inside that.”

MotoGP musical chairs 

Alex Rins on his way to winning the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, but there will be no Team Suzuki this time. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

Miller is just one of 12 rider changes in the slightly condensed 2023 MotoGP grid.

He is the only Australian in the premier class with Remy Gardner off to Superbikes, while Suzuki has pulled out of the sport.

Both former Suzuki riders have found new homes with Australian Grand Prix winner Alex Rins moving to LCR Honda and 2020 world champion Joan Mir stepping up to the factory Honda squad to join Marc Márquez.

Mir jumps into Repsol Honda colours after the team let go of Pol Espargaro after two under-par seasons.

The Spaniard is now at the Gas Gas Tech3 team with reigning Moto2 champion Augusto Fernandez. 

Alex Marquez is also looking for a fresh start at Gresini, while RNF has a new rider line up with Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez shifting from KTM and veteran Andrea Dovizioso has retired.

One of the few unchanged lineups is Aprillia, with Spaniards Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro leading the charge.

Can heavyweights Honda and Yamaha take the fight to Ducati?

Marc Marquez does not believe Repsol Honda have given him a bike capable of fighting for the world championship. Photo by Gold and Goose / LAT Images

One of the big storylines of the season will be Marc Márquez and his relationship with Honda having been at the team for a decade.

Since winning five MotoGP crowns in six seasons, Marquez has been held back by numerous injury setbacks, but this time his biggest energy could be the bike.

The 59-time Grand Prix winner cut a frustrated figure after pre-season testing, claiming the RC213V is “not a title contender”.

Repsol Honda has been on the decline for some years with a pair of P9’s and a fifth in the teams standings since its championship-winning 2019 campaign.

With rumours already circulating, the team needs to turn things around otherwise it might lose its #93 star.

Yamaha also enters 2023 a step behind Ducati with the team forced to retreat back to 2022-spec parts and set-up philosophies to claw back time at pre-season testing.

Quartararo determined to reclaim the championship title he lost last year admitted Yamaha is “still far away from what we have to have in the bike.”

With both Yamaha and Honda not firing on all cylinders, Ducati hold the upper hand heading into Portugal where Quartararo prevailed last year.

The season begins with FP1 at 21.45 AEDT Friday night, while sprint race and Grand Prix are held at 02:00 AEDT Sunday and midnight Monday.

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