Ought to MotoGP rethink its emphasis on dash races?

“If you win 10 grands prix and you’re nonetheless 24 factors behind, one thing is mistaken.”

Complaints a few format by a competitor who has didn’t grasp that format should all the time be learn with due warning. They’re to be anticipated. However Francesco Bagnaia may have a degree in the case of the affect of dash races on the 2024 MotoGP title battle.

To recap the state of affairs heading into the ultimate spherical, Bagnaia comes into the Barcelona weekend as an extended shot regardless of having received 10 grands prix to the three triumphs of factors chief Jorge Martin. The Spaniard’s benefit will be traced to his seven wins in MotoGP’s dash races in addition to quite a few falls for Bagnaia on Saturdays.

To be clear, Bagnaia is making no excuses for his dash travails. He’s trustworthy about these to the purpose the place you need to take his “one thing is mistaken” assertion as somewhat greater than bitter grapes.

“Jorge was simply higher on Saturdays this season and we now have to say he did a very good job there,” stated Bagnaia following his newest Saturday fall in Malaysia. He’s additionally completely happy to tip his hat to Martin’s capability to seek out tempo with restricted or zero preparation time.

“Yesterday Jorge simply went straight on observe and did a 1m56.996s, similar to that,” stated Bagnaia with a snap of the fingers as he mirrored on Martin’s record-breaking first run in Q2 at Sepang. “The pace with which he can adapt [to set a quick time] is one thing unbelievable.”

On condition that the sprints come earlier within the weekend, when Bagnaia is often nonetheless fine-tuning his bundle, this phenomenon has been an vital think about Martin’s Saturday factors hauls. For one so lifelike in regards to the stability of energy within the sprints, Bagnaia might arguably have averted his present state of affairs just by taking a damage-limitation method on Saturdays.

With the good thing about hindsight, he would definitely have settled for a number of seconds and thirds as an alternative of falling off. However his largest losses got here early within the season, when the image – together with his edge on Sundays – wasn’t fairly so clear.

However with all of that stated, for 73 of MotoGP’s 75 years, worrying about methods to deal with sprints was not a ability Bagnaia would have needed to grasp. Successful grands prix – and the occasional TT within the Netherlands or the Isle of Man – was all the time what earned you world titles. That could be a basic a part of the heritage MotoGP celebrated with such delight at Silverstone this yr. There’s an argument that the sprints have been a slap within the face to that heritage since they arrived in 2023.

Ought to Bagnaia win in Barcelona, he’ll have received 55% of this yr’s Sunday races, nonetheless a shade behind the bottom share within the 10+ membership

Simply to place Bagnaia’s 10 grand prix wins in perspective, the opposite riders to have received 10 in a season within the high class – a few of them a number of instances – are Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez. All of them went on to win the world championship within the seasons in query.

Earlier than we erupt in outrage on Bagnaia’s behalf, although, be aware that in share phrases Bagnaia hasn’t fairly reached the extent of his predecessors. Even disregarding sprints, there are extra grands prix per season now than for any of these riders. In 1968, the truth is, there have been solely 10 races and Agostini had a 100% document.

Ought to Bagnaia win in Barcelona, he’ll have received 55% of this yr’s Sunday races, nonetheless a shade behind the bottom share within the 10+ membership. That was Stoner’s 2007 effort, when he received 10 of 18 races at 55.56%.

Let’s issue within the sprints, only for enjoyable. Regardless of all of the deal with the factors he has thrown away in that division, Bagnaia has nonetheless received six of them. That is just one fewer than Martin, which does fairly name into query the favored notion that the Spaniard is indisputably the quickest man on Saturdays.

Errors at expensive instances in sprints have damage Bagnaia’s title prospects

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs

It provides Bagnaia a complete of 16 wins for the season, out of a doable 38 to date: that is 42.1%. The Italian’s defenders will fortunately be aware that Martin’s seven sprints and three grands prix add as much as an total profitable share of 26.32%.

You possibly can play with these statistics all the way in which to Christmas, speculating about what might need been once we take different finishes and retirements under consideration. I’ll cease now. The system is what it’s, and whereas Bagnaia has carried out extra profitable by any measure, he has merely given away too many factors – totally on Saturdays.

The query is whether or not these Saturday errors have been accorded an excessive amount of value. Or, for those who favor, whether or not grand prix Sundays ought to be value extra – as per MotoGP heritage.

Properly, firstly, it is within the title. If you recognize any French in any respect, you will know that the grand prix of any nation (or area or metropolis) is meant to be the massive prize. It got here with the particular article: le grand prix. There was just one. Semantics apart, an extended race brings tyre administration into play – a ability many would possibly really feel a champion ought to have of their portfolio. Flat-out sprints do not take a look at that.

So as an instance one thing is certainly “mistaken” with the system. What to do with the Saturday sprints?

Launched to MotoGP two years after they appeared in System 1 in 2021, the acute place can be to dismiss them totally as an pointless try to repeat what the four-wheelers had been doing.

Statisticians and plenty of media would possibly be pleased about that, as sprints have given rise to all types of issues round data, statistics and selection of wording. Does ‘race’ imply grands prix solely, for instance? Does ‘Malaysian Grand Prix’ confer with your complete weekend or solely the Sunday race? Extra importantly, might these questions confuse and alienate followers who’ve higher issues to do than dig round for definitions?

One other factor that may want somewhat viewers analysis: might some followers stroll away after being requested to take a position Saturdays and Sundays in following the racing – and on an ever-growing variety of weekends? Is there such a factor as an excessive amount of? Most common folks have lives outdoors of motorsport, a proven fact that decision-makers dwelling in all-consuming paddocks would possibly wish to think about.

Most up-to-date Grand Prix win got here for Martin, who has confirmed to be a specialist within the shorter races to high up his tally

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs

However, Saturday sprints can solely be an attraction for these weighing up weekend passes to attend races. It’s important to assume that they assist promote such tickets, which is actually an argument towards scrapping them totally.

A extra lifelike method could possibly be to go all-in on copying F1. MotoGP has differentiated itself by operating sprints at each single spherical whereas F1 levels them solely at chosen occasions. Within the first two years of F1 sprints, there have been solely three ‘dash weekends’. That has grown to 6 in 2023 and 2024 – precisely 1 / 4 of the race weekends on this yr’s case.

Beneath this mannequin, sprints are seen as a particular bonus that does not detract from the principle narrative. They’ll all the time be rotated between venues, or alternatively reserved for historic, blue-riband circuits like Jerez, Silverstone or Assen.

There is a hazard that pragmatic engineers would decide to deal with non-points sprints as extra apply periods

One other option to scale back the sprints’ impression on the championship can be to revisit the factors system. Once more, MotoGP might comply with F1’s lead right here. Beneath the present F1 weighting, a dash win will get you eight factors. That is lower than a 3rd of the 25 factors a grand prix victory earns.

MotoGP additionally affords grand prix winners 25, however each time any individual wins a dash, they stroll away with nearly half that. Ought to a dash win actually be value 12 factors?

An alternative choice could possibly be to run the sprints however exclude them from the championship totally. That approach, you could possibly nonetheless promote tickets for Saturdays and provide ‘content material’ for hardcore followers who cannot get sufficient whereas sending the remainder a transparent message that these races are a non-essential bonus. An exhibition, for those who like.

A brief race in which there’s nothing to lose looks as if a enjoyable answer on paper. And in the event that they get a cracking present, it is exhausting to think about these ticket-holders complaining that it did not depend for a championship.

Choices exist to alter up the dash format, however it’s a in style draw for followers trying to purchase weekend passes

Photograph by: Marc Fleury

However would groups get into the spirit of it, with no factors at stake? There is a hazard that pragmatic engineers would decide to deal with non-points sprints as extra apply periods. It is most likely greatest to proceed with this concept solely after in depth session with the rivals.

One other variant can be so as to add one thing like a ‘Dash Cup’ to MotoGP’s in depth array of championships. That approach, there would nonetheless be one thing larger to battle for. It could be one thing a producer’s advertising and marketing division might repair their consideration on if it does not fairly work out at world championship grand prix stage. Which will have its industrial enchantment.

After two years of the dash format experiment, there isn’t a disgrace in revisiting it. Bagnaia is unlikely to be the one one that thinks one thing is somewhat out of stability below the present mannequin. And, as we have seen, there are alternate options.

Let’s do not forget that Bagnaia is among the many smartest and most analytical personalities on the grid. He’s additionally a real, honest sportsman who will graciously provide his hand in defeat, it doesn’t matter what the format. He might have a selected bias when he says one thing is “mistaken”, however his phrases are fastidiously thought of and aren’t spoken within the warmth of a second. Maybe MotoGP’s powers-that-be must pay them due consideration.

Will Bagnaia’s dash protestations fall on deaf ears?

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs