MotoGP: Australian GP – How Sunday was saved

After a tough weekend, I had a look at what happened in Sunday’s action.

The MotoGP race was initially moved to Saturday after weather forecasts suggested high winds and rain. This meant the MotoGP Sprint was moved to Sunday, after the Moto3 and Moto2 races.

Johann Zarco won the Grand Prix on Saturday after an epic last-lap overtake on his teammate. It was sunny on Saturday but forecast predictions came true with wind and rain arriving on Sunday. Because of the weather, Moto2 and Moto3 had an added warm-up session with the schedule brought forward.

This meant that the MotoGP Sprint was cancelled on Sunday with the Australian fans only able to watch one premier class race. However, fans were able to see two races unfold on Sunday with Moto2 and Moto3 taking to the tricky conditions. Series promoter, Dorna were quick at making changes to the schedule throughout the weekend.

Moto2

The Moto2 riders never seen the chequered flag on Sunday with the wind and rain picking up in the latter stages of the race. Due to the conditions, the race was red-flagged before the two-thirds distance. Due to the red flag, there were only half points were awarded to the riders with the results taken on lap nine.

Tony Arbolino took the race win and took the maximum 12.5 points from the Australian Grand Prix. Aron Canet took yet another second-place finish with the Spaniard unable to win his first race in Moto2. Fermin Aldeguer rounded out the podium, onboard the Boscoscuro machine.

Jeremy Alcoba had a great finish in fourth position with Joe Roberts rounding out the top five.

There were several crashes during the race including two Brits: Jake Dixon and Sam Lowes. The remaining British rider in the race was Rory Skinner who finished inside the points, finishing 12^th.

Sergio Garcia was one of the number of race leaders during the Moto2 race but would crash out on lap three. Fellow Spaniard and Championship leader, Pedro Acosta crashed out before the race began on the sighting lap. Acosta managed to start the race from the back, finishing in ninth.

Pedro Acosta’s Championship lead has been reduced by nine points to 56 points with four rounds remaining.

Moto3

The Moto3 field did see the finish line on Sunday with the class being the first race of the day. Deniz Oncu crossed the line first on Sunday winning the race after a dramatic last lap overtake. Ayumu Sasaki qualified on pole position on Saturday but could not convert it on race day, finishing in second.

Joel Kelso rounded off the podium at his home Grand Prix weekend, making the damp Australian crowd happy. Kelso’s first Grand Prix podium came at the same weekend as he announced the switch to BOE Motorsports next year.

Collin Veijer ended his first visit to the iconic Phillip Island circuit in fourth position onboard the Husqvarna. He finished ahead of Adrian Fernandez who recovered after crashing out of the lead at the start of the race. Riccardo Rossi showed his pace in sixth, finishing ahead of Furusato and Masia who held his Championship lead.

There were also crashes on the sighting lap with Daniel Holgado and Diogo Moreira hitting the deck. Holgado claimed some valuable Championship points, fishing in 13^th position with Moreira crashing again during the race.

It was again bad luck for Brits with Scott Ogden unable to make the start of the Moto3 race on Sunday. Ogden suffered from a handful of mechanic issues and only set five laps in practice meaning he could not qualify for the race. His teammate, Josh Whatley finished inside of the points, ending his weekend in 14^th.

Riders and fans will not have to wait long to see a full weekend of MotoGP action in Thailand.

Image credit: Red Bull Media House