The 2023 season has seen the MotoGP weekend format undergo one of its most radical changes ever with the introduction of sprint races at every round.
This has led to the combined times at the end of Friday’s two practice sessions determining which riders progress directly to Q2 in qualifying and who has to face the Q1 elimination.
Previously, it was the combined times at the end of Saturday’s FP3 session that decided this.
While the change has added more intrigue to Friday’s running, it has been met with criticism from many riders, who have raised safety concerns about the fact they have to use the closing portions of both FP1 and FP2 as a mini qualifying session.
During the Dutch GP weekend, Autosport reported that a change to the regulations for 2024 would see just second practice times count towards the Q1/Q2 order.
However, on Monday afternoon, the FIM released a statement from the GPC that, following “unanimous agreement” from all teams, this change would be made with immediate effect.
While none of the session times will change on a grand prix weekend, their designation has been altered.
Source: Autosport