Portimão will open the 2023 MotoGP season 

Last May, Dorna, promoter of the world championship MotoGP, announced that Qatar would not open the 2023 MotoGP season. The Lusail route will in fact carry out major work to modernize its facilities and will therefore not be able to host the first meeting of the season. The Qatar GP, the only night event on the calendar, will be held later in the year. 

It is the Portuguese GP which will therefore kick off on the Portimão circuit from March 24 to 26, 2023. This will be the first time that a European GP will open the calendar since 2006 with the Spanish GP in Jerez. . As a reminder, in 2020, MotoGP started in Jerez, but Moto3 and Moto2 were able to compete in the Qatar GP before the world was brought to a standstill by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Portimão made its appearance on the calendar in 2020 to close the season. The paddock visited twice last year and once earlier this year. The official test, which traditionally takes place in Qatar before the event, will therefore be scheduled in Portimão; the dates being to be confirmed. 

The rest of the schedule is not yet known, but it should be revealed in the coming weeks. 

Photo: Yamaha MotoGP.