MotoGP 2023 is going to begin on Tuesday, with preparations that had only began.
Teams and riders who saw a new world champion crowned at the Valencia Grand Prix won't have much time to catch their breath as preparations for 2023 begin on Tuesday, November 8 with the official testing in Valencia.
The one-day test, full of new features and with many personnel changes in the team, is sure to attract attention. In addition, fans can enjoy live event tracking on motogp.com, as well as exclusive add-ons and behind-the-scenes content from the team in the ring. As always, the team will be rolling out various upgrades to their equipment in 2023 with the goal of leading next year's campaign, so expect to see a lot of innovation throughout the day.
The Live Schedule for Tuesday’s Test in local test (GMT +1):
- Morning Coverage (Live on MotoGP.com): 09:30-13:30
- Midday Recap (Live on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Teitch): 14:00
- Afternoon coverage (Live on MotoGP.com): 14:30-17:30
Technical aspects aside, we'll see some riders wearing the new team's leathers for the first time. Jack Miller will trade the factory Ducati for the factory KTM, so it's the biggest in the series to move the manufacturer. He is not the only driver entering the Austrian manufacturer. Augusto Fernández (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will make his MotoGP™ debut with the GASGAS factory racing team, while Pol Espargaro will race the RC16 again to return to the orange Repsol Honda brand.
Honda itself will welcome current Suzuki duo Joanne Meyer and Alex Raines as both riders taste the RC213V alongside Marc Marquez (Team Repsol Honda) and Takaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). It will be another crucial test for the Japanese manufacturer as it continues to innovate its bike to deliver a more competitive package in 2023.
An exciting time is approaching for Aprilia as well. Despite the low championship offer, they have made great strides this season and will be contenders again next year. They also welcomed their first-ever MotoGP™ satellite team in the class, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Raul Fernandes (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) swapping RC16 for RS-GP in the newly formed RNF team. It was fascinating to see how they go about things at Cheste as they made a huge impression on a recent test.
Keep an eye on Ducati too, as the revamp of the rider lineup raises a lot of questions. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) replaced Enia Bastianini at Grassini Racing, which he explained was very important to his premier-class career.
'The Beast' is moving to the factory side to link up with Pecco Bagnaia and it will be fascinating to see how crippled they have been after some exciting on-track battles over the past few weeks.
There's certainly a lot to look forward to in Valencia, but before the teams and drivers turn their attention to 2023, there's a small issue to deal with first: determining the GP title at Valencia!