MADRID, 20 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The MotoGP race of the Australian Grand Prix, the sixteenth round of the motorcycle World Championship, will be held on Saturday due to the poor weather forecasts announced for Sunday at Phillip Island, while the premier class sprint race will be held, if the Conditions allow it, on Sunday.
“Due to the inclement weather forecast for Sunday, October 22, the schedule for the Australian Grand Prix has been updated. This decision has been made proactively in order to guarantee the best and safest show possible for all drivers. and fans attending the Phillip Island circuit this weekend,” MotoGP announced.
Dorna’s sports director, Carlos Ezpeleta, warned that “the problem is the wind”, more than the rain, on a Sunday in which gusts of wind of up to 60 km/h are expected. “We want to safeguard the most important race of the weekend,” he stressed in a press conference in which he appeared alongside Mike Webb, Loris Capirossi and Tomé Alfonso.
In this way, the long race will be held on Saturday starting at 6:10 Spanish peninsular time, while the sprint race will start on Sunday at 5:00 Spanish peninsular time “if time permits.” The Moto2 and Moto3 races remain on schedule.
The Italian Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Ducati) commands the overall ranking of the premier category with 346 points, 18 more than the Spanish Jorge Martín (Ducati), who took the lead last Saturday with his sprint victory in Mandalika; However, a fall on Sunday returned first place in the standings to the current champion.