KUALA LUMPUR: WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP team principal Datuk Razlan Razali has welcomed Dorna's decision to introduce a new Saturday sprint race for the premier class beginning from next year.
Razlan believes the "proactive" move will keep MotoGP interesting and help boost its reach. Formula One and World Superbike Championship have adopted the sprint format to complement their Sunday races.
"The last time we saw a change to MotoGP was when they changed the qualifying format about 10 years ago," said Razlan on Saturday.
"The race format, however, has never changed, so this is a very big thing. I am sure Dorna put a lot of thought into it before making the decision. It is their (Dorna) effort to address certain things with the hope of keeping MotoGP exciting as well as attracting new audiences both on and off the track, including those watching on TV at home.
"It is better to do something rather than nothing. It shows that they are being proactive with the aim of becoming better.
"For the diehard fans, it may be hard to accept because they are so used to the old format but I don't see anything wrong with it. For me, it's great to have a double dose of MotoGP action on both Saturdays and Sundays."
Razlan added that the addition of the sprint race is expected to boost television viewership on Saturdays, which will keep team sponsors happy.
