MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

As predicted earlier this month, the MotoGP calendar is to expand even further for 2023. Next year, there are to be 21 races in total, with two new circuits being added to the calendar.

The news that Sokol in Kazakhstan is being added had been expected, given the announcement on Tuesday. The surprise is that India is to have a MotoGP round next year, with the expectation in the paddock that it would not happen until 2024. But MotoGP is to race at the Buddh International circuit at the end of September in 2023. There had been concerns over customs and tax issues importing equipment and bikes into India, but paddock sources indicate these issues have been settled.

To make room for India, the Aragon round of MotoGP has been dropped. The Barcelona race has already been moved to a September slot, to avoid being close to the F1 race there earlier in the year. That means there will only be three races in Spain this year, as a first step on the way to a future rotation, where there will be three races on the Iberian peninsula, alternating between the five circuits on the 2022 calendar: Portimão, Jerez, Barcelona, Aragon, and Valencia.

The expanded 2023 calendar has some curious gaps and compressions. The series kicks off on March 26th in Portimão, before heading straight off to Argentina. The US round follows in Austin, before MotoGP returns to Europe for Jerez, and then Le Mans. There is a three-week break after Le Mans before the first of three triple headers in June, where MotoGP will go from Mugello to the Sachsenring to Assen. After a week off, MotoGP then heads to Kazakhstan in July, for the inaugural race at Sokol, just outside Almaty.

After another three-week break, MotoGP returns to Europe for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. They then go to Austria, Barcelona, and Misano, before flying off to India and the Buddh International Circuit outside New Delhi. Motegi follows a week later.

The season then enters a grueling finale, with six races in seven weeks. The first triple header kicks off in Indonesia on October 15th, followed by Phillip Island and then Thailand. After a week off, MotoGP heads to Sepang, then a refurbished and revamped Qatar, before ending the season at Valencia on November 26th.

Below is the calendar, and the press release from Dorna announcing the MotoGP round in India.

FIM Grand Prix World Championship
2023 Provisional Calendar, 30 September.

21 races. 18 countries. The provisional 2023 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship calendar is here!

The wait is over and the 2023 provisional calendar can now be announced, with more races and more countries than ever before. Competition begins in Portugal at the stunning Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in March before the Championship heads to Termas de Rio Hondo and Austin, TX, for the Americas GP, kicking the season off in style. From there, it’s back to Jerez as the European leg begins, with the classics coming thick and fast: Le Mans will host the 1000th Grand Prix before the paddock returns to Mugello, the Sachsenring and Assen.

Kazakhstan is set to debut in July ahead of a second break in the middle of the season, with the Central Asian country becoming the 30th country to host a motorcycle Grand Prix since 1949 – and Sokol International Racetrack the 74th venue to stage a premier class race.

From there the paddock returns west for the British and Austrian GPs, ahead of a new date for the Catalan GP at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the event moves to September. The paddock then bids farewell to Europe in Misano ahead of another flyaway stint, beginning in another new country fresh for 2023: India.

Buddh International Circuit’s debut will make it the 75th venue at which the premier class have raced, and India becomes the 31st country to host a motorcycle Grand Prix. From there, the paddock heads further east to Japan and the classic Motegi before a weekend free to gear up for a triple-header.

As MotoGP™ continues to push to reduce its carbon footprint, India and Motegi mark the start of a longer stint in Asia – significantly reducing the paddock’s potential mileage. The first triple-header in Asia is Mandalika – Phillip Island – Buriram, before another weekend free to recharge ahead of the final three showdowns.

The season ends with a thriller of a triple-header: from Malaysia the journey back west begins, with Qatar hosting the penultimate race of the season under the floodlights at Lusail as the venue welcomes the sport back to the Middle East. Then, to round out the season with its classic final fiesta of the year, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo brings the competition to a close back in Europe.

18 countries, 21 races and another chapter of history waiting to be written: this is 2023!

* Evening Race
**Subject to Homologation

MotoGP™ to race in India from 2023
Friday, 30 September 2022

The FIM MotoGP™ World Championship is coming to India! The country will make its debut on the MotoGP™ calendar in 2023 as MotoGP™ gets ready to take on Buddh International Circuit.

India is a true economic and cultural powerhouse, with a population of over 1.4 billion people and more than 200 million motorcycles on its roads. Two-wheeled transportation counts for nearly 75% of the total number of vehicles used daily, making India one of the biggest motorcycle markets in the world and a key focus for the manufacturers in the MotoGP™ paddock.

Racing at Buddh International Circuit, located in Uttar Pradesh to the south of New Delhi, will bring the sport into the heart of this key market and make the sport more accessible than ever to our fanbase across the region. As MotoGP™ continues to expand, the Indian Grand Prix marks an important milestone in the sport’s mission to open the doors of motorcycle racing to all – writing a new chapter in the story of the world’s first motorsport Championship and welcoming new audiences and fans from every corner of the world.

Mr. Anurag Thakur, Union Sports Minister, Government of India: "It’s a historical day for sporting industry and tribute to 75th year of India’s celebration."

Mr. Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh: "It’s a matter of great pride for Uttar Pradesh to host such a global event. Our government will provide full support to MotoGP Bharat."

Mr. Nand Gopal “Nandi”, Cabinet Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh: "This event will provide a major impetus to the economy by generating an influx of foreign investment in the state."

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta: "We’re very proud to announce that Buddh International Circuit will be on the 2023 calendar. We have a lot of fans in India and we’re excited to be able to bring the sport to them. India is also a key market for the motorcycle industry and therefore, by extension, for MotoGP as the pinnacle of the two-wheeled world. We very much look forward to racing at Buddh International Circuit and can’t wait to welcome the fans through the gates to see this incredible sport in person."