Changes for the 2023 Australian MotoGP Calendar

Jakarta – The main MotoGP race at the Phillip Island circuit for the 2023 season in Australia is undergoing a schedule adjustment due to adverse weather conditions, including rain and forecast strong winds. Dorna Sport has made the necessary adjustments after consultations with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

Dorna’s Chief Sports Officer, Carlos Ezpeleta, explained that the decision to modify the race calendar was taken after considering the forecast, stating that the team learned from the red flag situation during the 2019 qualifying session. “Given our experience in 2019, where the wind posed significant challenges, we want to avoid similar circumstances this Sunday,” he said, as reported by Crash on October 20th.

Dorna prioritizes the safety of riders, fans, and everyone involved in the event. They are willing to shift the main race to a more favorable time to ensure these conditions. According to Carlos, after discussions with teams, they agreed to move the sprint race from Saturday to Sunday and then the main race back to Saturday, approximately at the same time.

Dorna believes that conducting the main race under safer conditions is of utmost importance, and all parties have accepted this proposal. “Everyone involved in MotoGP is prepared for the afternoon race on Sunday, making this change inevitable given the format,” Carlos added.

Here’s the updated 2023 Australian MotoGP schedule:

• Saturday, October 21st
• 06:10 – 06:40 WIB: MotoGP Free Practice No. 2
• 06:50 – 07:05 WIB: MotoGP Qualifying No. 1
• 07:15 – 07:30 WIB: MotoGP Qualifying No. 2
• 11:10 WIB: MotoGP Race (27 Laps)
• Sunday, October 22nd
• 10:00 WIB: MotoGP Sprint Race (13 laps) – Subject to track conditions.