{"id":3566,"date":"2026-10-08T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3566"},"modified":"2026-10-07T19:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T22:15:16","slug":"motogp-sprint-points-system-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/motogp-sprint-points-system-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesian MotoGP sprint could change the title lead: how does scoring work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MotoGP awards <strong>12 points to the sprint winner<\/strong>, with the first nine riders scoring championship points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A rider can earn <strong>37 points per weekend<\/strong> by winning Saturday&#8217;s sprint and Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jorge Mart\u00edn leads Marc M\u00e1rquez by only <strong>two points<\/strong> before the Indonesian GP, meaning the championship lead could change on Saturday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MotoGP riders can score a maximum of <strong>37 championship points during a Grand Prix weekend<\/strong>, with 12 available in Saturday&#8217;s sprint and another 25 in Sunday&#8217;s main race. Unlike Formula 1, MotoGP holds a sprint at every Grand Prix, making the shorter race an important part of the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scoring system is particularly relevant ahead of the Indonesian GP at Mandalika. Jorge Mart\u00edn arrives with <strong>333 points, just two ahead of Marc M\u00e1rquez on 331<\/strong>, after the Ducati rider won both races at Motegi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means M\u00e1rquez can take the championship lead before Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix even begins. If he wins the sprint and Mart\u00edn finishes second, the three-point difference would put M\u00e1rquez one point ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many points does a MotoGP sprint award?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MotoGP introduced the sprint format in 2023, awarding points to the <strong>first nine finishers<\/strong>. The winner receives 12, while second place earns nine and third receives seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Position<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Sprint points<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>1st<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>12<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2nd<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3rd<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10th or lower<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of <strong>49 championship points<\/strong> is distributed across the nine scoring positions when full points are awarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sprint races cover approximately half the distance of Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix and normally last around 20 minutes. There is no mandatory pit stop, and the result does not determine the starting grid for the main race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How are points awarded in Sunday&#8217;s MotoGP race?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Grand Prix awards points to the <strong>top 15 finishers<\/strong>, with 25 for victory, 20 for second and 16 for third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Position<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Grand Prix points<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>1st<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>25<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2nd<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">20<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3rd<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">16<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">11<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">10<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16th or lower<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sprint and Grand Prix points are added to the same championship standings. There are <strong>no bonus points for pole position or fastest lap<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can a MotoGP rider score 37 points in one weekend?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rider must win both races to collect the maximum available points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Result<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Points<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Sprint victory<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Grand Prix victory<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Maximum weekend total<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>37<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With six rounds remaining after Japan, <strong>222 points are still theoretically available<\/strong> in the 2026 championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is particularly significant because Mart\u00edn and M\u00e1rquez are separated by only two points, leaving little margin for a retirement or a poor result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How M\u00e1rquez can take the championship lead at Mandalika<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">M\u00e1rquez does not need to wait until Sunday to move ahead of Mart\u00edn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The three-point difference between first and second in Saturday&#8217;s sprint is already greater than the championship gap. Several possible results illustrate how quickly the standings could change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Mandalika sprint result<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Mart\u00edn points<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">M\u00e1rquez points<\/th><th>Championship leader<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>M\u00e1rquez P1, Mart\u00edn P2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">342<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">343<\/td><td><strong>M\u00e1rquez +1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>M\u00e1rquez P2, Mart\u00edn P1<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">345<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">340<\/td><td><strong>Mart\u00edn +5<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>M\u00e1rquez P1, Mart\u00edn P3<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">340<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">343<\/td><td><strong>M\u00e1rquez +3<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>M\u00e1rquez P1, Mart\u00edn scores 0<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">333<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">343<\/td><td><strong>M\u00e1rquez +10<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Indonesian circuit also adds another variable. <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/why-marc-marquez-has-never-finished-a-motogp-grand-prix-in-indonesia\/\">M\u00e1rquez has never finished a Sunday MotoGP race at Mandalika<\/a>, while Mart\u00edn won there in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has acknowledged that <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/ducati-accept-marquez-losing-12-points-martin-mandalika\/\">losing 10-12 points to Mart\u00edn could be considered acceptable<\/a> because the circuit may favour Aprilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020317074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AFP__20261004__D27392B__v1__MidRes__MotoPrixJpn.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marc M\u00e1rquez (Photo: AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does MotoGP sprint qualifying work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026, the same qualifying results determine the starting grids for both the sprint and Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fastest 10 riders in Friday afternoon&#8217;s Practice advance directly to Q2. The remaining riders contest Q1 on Saturday morning, with the two fastest joining Q2 to decide the first 12 grid positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sprint then takes place on Saturday afternoon, followed by the full Grand Prix on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>MotoGP has announced a change for 2027:<\/strong> sprint races will receive their own dedicated qualifying sessions, creating separate starting grids for the shorter races and the Grands Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The points structure remains the key distinction between the two races: <strong>12 points for a sprint victory and 25 for a Grand Prix win<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is the Indonesian MotoGP sprint?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Indonesian GP sprint takes place on <strong>Saturday, October 10, at 15:00 local time in Mandalika<\/strong>. That corresponds to 08:00 BST in the UK, 03:00 ET in the United States and Canada and 12:30 IST in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix starts at the same local time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/indonesian-motogp-2026-mandalika-schedule-how-to-watch\/\">complete Indonesian MotoGP schedule, including qualifying and broadcast information<\/a> is available in <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong>&#8216;s weekend guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> provides full coverage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/\">MotoGP<\/a> championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">MotoGP today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who was fastest in Indonesian MotoGP Practice at Mandalika?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ra\u00fal Fern\u00e1ndez topped Friday&#8217;s Practice with a new Mandalika lap record of 1:28.725, leading an Aprilia 1-2-3 ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Mart\u00edn. Marc M\u00e1rquez finished fifth, 0.220s behind championship rival Mart\u00edn. All four qualified directly for Q2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Marc M\u00e1rquez take the MotoGP championship lead in Saturday&#8217;s sprint?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. M\u00e1rquez trails Jorge Mart\u00edn by just two points, 331 to 333. The Ducati rider can move ahead by scoring at least three more points than Mart\u00edn during Saturday&#8217;s sprint. A M\u00e1rquez victory would guarantee the championship lead regardless of Mart\u00edn&#8217;s result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is Indonesian MotoGP qualifying and the sprint on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qualifying begins at 10:50 local time on Saturday, October 10, equivalent to 03:50 BST in the UK and 22:50 EDT on Friday in the United States and Canada. The sprint starts at 15:00 local time, equivalent to 08:00 BST and 03:00 EDT on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many points does a MotoGP sprint winner get?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The winner receives <strong>12 points<\/strong>, followed by nine for second and seven for third. Points are awarded to the first nine finishers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marc M\u00e1rquez can overtake Jorge Mart\u00edn in the 2026 championship during Saturday&#8217;s Mandalika sprint. See how MotoGP points are awarded and why 37 are available each weekend<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001019342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Indonesian GP ","42wp_featured_image_credits":"AFP","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":140,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[38],"tags":[581,104,32,576],"42wp_author":[140],"class_list":["post-3566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp","tag-indonesian-gp","tag-marc-marquez","tag-motogp","tag-motogp-sprint","42wp_author-kaio-esteves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3566"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3567,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3566\/revisions\/3567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1001019342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3566"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}