ALEX MARQUEZ WANTS MOTOGP SPRINT RACES CUT TO SIX OR SEVEN

Alex Marquez wants MotoGP to cut back its sprint races, arguing that the sport is placing too much strain on riders and risking their long-term wellbeing.

The Gresini rider said the number of sprints should be reduced by at least half. His preferred target is six or seven per season, rather than holding one at every Grand Prix weekend. MotoGP introduced sprints in 2023; the current calendar now features 44 races across the two formats.

The workload could grow further in 2027, when a revised weekend schedule is set to add sprint qualifying. Riders criticised that plan at the Indonesian Grand Prix, and Marquez has renewed his concerns about the physical demands and danger of racing more often.

“I think they’re asking a bit too much of the riders, and I’m talking about the effort on the track,” he told GPOne. “There are so many risks; we’re getting faster and faster, and the number of laps we have to ride at the limit keeps increasing.”

Marquez said the push for greater spectacle could bring greater risk, and believes the arrival of sprint races has contributed to more injuries. He is 30 and said an earlier or later retirement would make little difference to him personally, but he is more concerned about younger competitors, including Pedro Acosta and Fermin Aldeguer.

“They’re in their twenties, and with this many races, it’ll be tough for them,” he said. “They need to focus on creating heroes, but long-term heroes - not just short-term ones.”

His proposed change is straightforward: “They should at least cut them [the sprints] in half. The ideal would be to have six or seven.”