The 2023 MotoGP season got off to a fraught start as the sprint race format made its debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Though the racing in the sprint was superb, The Race MotoGP Podcast panel Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer also found it pretty unnerving.
Across the weekend five MotoGP riders needed medical attention as a result of crashes during the weekend, and three will now miss at least next weekend’s Argentina round.
One of them will be Marc Marquez, who’s picked up not only a hand injury but also a (now-voided) penalty and plenty of paddock – and podcast – condemnation after ploughing into Miguel Oliveira and Jorge Martin.
Before doing that, Marquez was one of the stars of the weekend as he surpassed all expectations with pole and a sprint podium on a Honda no one else could get near the front.
Ahead of it all, Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia made a serene start to his title defence with a maximum score that already leaves him looking even tougher to beat – though our panel isn’t declaring the championship fight over just yet.
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