Odd season: None of the MotoGP main races in 2023 featured all the regular riders

This year, the MotoGP grid consisted of 22 full-time riders. However, due to various injuries, an unusual and unprecedented situation occurred: none of the main races featured all of them.

 

It all began at the opening round in Portugal where Pol Espargaró (GasGas Tech3) was sidelined due to injuries sustained during Friday’s practice – leading to an extended absence. In that same round, Enea Bastianini (Ducati), Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team/Aprilia) also got injured – Bastianini until the Italian GP, Márquez until the French GP, and Oliveira missing just the Argentine GP.

Oliveira faced another injury upon his return in Spain, preventing him from participating in the French GP – where Enea Bastianini (Ducati) and Pol Espargaró continued out due to injuries sustained in Portimão.

At the Italian GP, Álex Rins (LCR Honda) suffered complicated injuries that kept him from competing until Indonesia – the only round he contested since then. The Mandalika round could have been the first where all regular riders competed in a main race, but due to an injury sustained in India, Álex Márquez (Gresini/Ducati) couldn’t participate.

The Sprint race at the Qatar GP was the only race in the season featuring all the full-time riders at the start, but during that event, Oliveira got injured, missing the main race and subsequently forced to skip the Valencia GP as well, where the grid once again isn’t complete despite Rins’ return.

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