Talking on the VR46 launch, Luca Marini felt grand prix riders and crew members in all courses “don’t earn sufficient” typically and that some Moto2 and Moto3 groups might end the season with broken bikes on account of a scarcity of price range.
“However the one strategy to have this [extra] help is to attempt to promote a greater present, for the TV, for the followers,” Marini stated. “That is the one strategy to have extra money.”
The precise matter of whether or not bonus cash must be paid for the 21 new Saturday races has arisen since most rider contracts had been signed earlier than the half-distance Sprints, which is not going to rely as grands prix however will award world championship factors, had been introduced.
Marini acknowledged the enjoyable issue of getting extra races, saying “we wish to race. It is unimaginable.” However doesn’t imagine that ought to cancel out the truth that MotoGP is “our job, our life.”
“The [race weekend] format is altering however everyone is simply saying, ‘OK riders, that is the brand new format. You earn the identical cash… as a result of extra races is extra enjoyable for you – yay! So simply have enjoyable’,” he stated.
That angle can be one thing Marini has heard from former riders.
“If you converse with outdated riders [they say]: ’In my time, if I had extra races it will simply be higher’. And yeah, it is improbable [for them] as a result of they don’t seem to be driving now!” he smiled.
“I’m not towards them. I agree with them. For certain it’s extra enjoyable, additionally for us, as a result of we wish to race. It is unimaginable racing in MotoGP and extra races is extra enjoyable. However it’s additionally our job. It is our life. It is our sacrifices.
“You’re a MotoGP rider three hundred and sixty five days of the yr. You can not have a lot free time. You will have plenty of stress. Additionally the trouble of the brand new [Sprint] races might be unbelievable.”
Apply has been decreased to compensate for the Dash races, that means general observe time throughout every race weekend is unchanged. However the additional ‘effort’ of the Dash means Marini feels the Sunday GP distance must be checked out.
“I do know that in Superbike they make 3 races [each weekend], however they make the longest of [around] 20 laps, for instance, whereas we make 27 laps and the final 7 laps are very lengthy,” he stated.
“So possibly we will additionally ask if that is doable, to attempt to scale back the [Sunday] laps.”
‘Possibly we may have 15 riders in a row for 10 laps’
The 25-year-old, youthful brother of MotoGP’s largest ever star Valentino Rossi, understands that Sprints are being introduced in to brighten up the Saturday present and is acutely aware of the necessity for all paddock members to contribute in direction of rising the game.
“I do know that now the necessary factor is attempt to have a greater present for the followers, to have extra money for the individuals who work on this paddock and for the riders. So we have to perceive by which manner we could be higher on this facet,” he stated.
“We [need to] attempt to give quite a bit higher present to the folks, with overtakes, with completely different fights, with duels, as a result of additionally it’s crucial in sport to have two-three riders combating one another in each race.”
Whereas extra races ought to imply extra motion for followers, Marini warned it won’t be that straightforward since overtaking points nonetheless have to be addressed.
“Additionally on the technical facet we have to converse with Dorna and the Security Fee as a result of making overtakes just isn’t really easy,” Marini defined.
“So I anticipate that additionally within the Dash races, that could be a ‘jungle’ the place each rider needs to win and makes slightly little bit of chaos, it will likely be troublesome [to overtake]
“Possibly we may have simply 15 riders in a row for 10 laps, attempting to do one thing. However in the tip, if they do not do something this isn’t a very good present.”
Marini heads to this weekend’s closing 2023 pre-season check at Portimao trying to full a clear sweep of the timesheets this winter, having topped each the Valencia (November) and Sepang (February) outings.
MotoGP’s revised weekend format then begins with spherical one, additionally at Portimao, on March 24-26.
