AUSTRALIAN GP – PRACTICE AND QUALIFIERS CANCELLED ON SATURDAY
MOTOGP SURRENDERS TO THE WEATHER ON PHILLIP ISLAND
The Oceanic weather imposed its own rules and made the circuit that overlooks the southern fringes of the Australian continent unusable. Gusts of wind up to 60 km/h and occasional heavy downpours first made the FP3 session pointless, where most of the riders did not even leave pit lane, and then caused FP4 to be cancelled altogether. Precisely during the final free practice session, Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira was involved in a dangerous crash caused by the wind. The accident did not result in any serious consequences for the rider, but it made the lack of safety rather clear.
So, the session was cancelled and, after a meeting with all the riders, Race Direction decided to cancel the two qualifying sessions scheduled for today.
At this point, the two sessions that will determine the order on the starting grid will be held tomorrow morning after warm up (moved up 60 minutes). Notwithstanding the need for satisfactory weather conditions.
ALEIX ESPARGARÒ
“The situation in FP4 was really dangerous with too much wind and especially inconsistent gusts. Oliveira crashed in front of me on the first turn and you could clearly see how the wind pushed him off the track. The decision to cancel the sessions was right. One thing I love about this paddock is the respect they have for the riders’ opinions, especially when it comes to safety. Now let’s hope the situation improves for tomorrow and lets us race.”
ANDREA IANNONE
“Given the conditions, there was no other choice. With this wind and the low temperatures, it is really too dangerous to ride. In the meeting, the majority of the riders were in agreement on suspending track activity. We’ll assess the situation tomorrow morning.”