2024 Australian MotoGP: Rain Delays and Resurfacing Challenges Take Center Stage at Phillip Island

Live Coverage: 2024 Australian MotoGP Friday Practice

Stay tuned for real-time updates from the Friday practice session at the 2024 Australian MotoGP.

As the final series of three consecutive races kicks off at Phillip Island in Australia, Jorge Martin maintains a narrow 10-point advantage over Francesco Bagnaia in the 2024 MotoGP World Championship standings.

Consistently ranking as one of the season's most eagerly awaited races, the exciting coastal track has hosted numerous legendary showdowns, and the famously erratic weather is expected to keep both teams and racers tense.

This year's event includes the uncertainty of MotoGP riders experiencing the new Phillip Island track surface for the first time.

Back in 2013, when the Australian track underwent resurfacing, MotoGP had to implement a reduced race length and introduce pit stops because the Bridgestone tires were overheating.

A similar situation occurred with the WorldSBK Championship as it raced on the newest asphalt this past February, drawing attention to Michelin's selection of 2024 MotoGP tire compounds.

Regardless of the outcome, MotoGP is looking forward to holding its inaugural Sprint race at Phillip Island this weekend. This comes after storm warnings in 2023 caused the Saturday race to be swapped with the full grand prix.

Martin was just one lap away from victory last year, but a risky choice to use soft tyres didn't pay off. This allowed his teammate, Johann Zarco, to capture his first MotoGP win, a moment that had been anticipated for some time. The predicted storm hit on Sunday, leading to the cancellation of the rescheduled Sprint event.

The first practice session is scheduled to commence at 10:45 in the morning local time, which will be 12:45 in the morning for those in the UK. This will be succeeded by the second practice session at 3:

BREAKING NEWS: The schedule for Friday afternoons has been newly released.

We are currently waiting for an updated timetable for the rest of the day's events.

Just a quick note: today's MotoGP practice session in the afternoon will determine which 10 riders will directly proceed to Qualifying 2.

The announcement is confirmed: the first practice session (FP1) has been

With a serious expression, Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi strides towards Capirossi's vehicle, clearly indicating through his body language that he desires the session to be called off.

Capirossi told Crafar that the track conditions improved when the rain lessened, but the issue was that heavy rain returned. This led to aquaplaning, making it wiser to wait for the rain to cease.

Ex-racer Andrea Migno, who remains active with the VR46 Academy, playfully displays a pit board for Loris Capirossi. Meanwhile, Fabio di Giannantonio humorously contributes by writing '65 ride thru' on the board.

As he drives by, Capirossi flashes a grin.

In the meantime, Marco Bezzecchi retrieves his lunch…

Francesco Bagnaia exits the garage and heads towards the pit wall, where he acknowledges the spectators with a wave. He then appears to indicate that the new asphalt is not allowing water to drain properly, leaving it pooled on the surface. Jack Miller had pointed out this issue earlier as well.

Jack Miller is the most recent person to flag down Loris Capirossi as he heads back to the pits in the Safety Car. Alongside the team manager, Francesco Guidotti, Miller engages in a lively discussion with Capirossi through the car's open window.

Aleix Espargaro and Alex Rins also have a conversation with Capirossi.

The cyclists appear to have achieved their goal: The beginning of the session has been postponed once more because of the circumstances.

The track's surface resembles a mirror due to the puddles of water resting on the fresh asphalt (does this remind anyone of Silverstone in 2018?)

Johann Zarco signals to Loris Capirossi while heading back to the pit lane. There are many anxious expressions among the crew members there, as the rain continues to pour, leaving the track obviously drenched.

Aleix Espargaro appears indifferent as he converses with an IRTA representative; the Aprilia racer seems unimpressed by the choice to begin the session.

The pit lane is set to open in 10 minutes at 12:25 local time.

The course remains drenched with water as Loris Capirossi maneuvers through it in the Safety Car, creating splashes.

Johann Zarco is moving from one garage to another, engaging in conversations with fellow riders, while Marco Bezzecchi is taking a break to eat lunch.

Five minutes remain before the next update from Race Direction is provided.

It seems the rain has subsided, as individuals in the pit lane are no longer using umbrellas.

Jorge Martin expressed his gratitude to Simon Crafar, saying, "I'm grateful to everyone here who supports us, despite our inability to race at the moment."

Race officials have not abandoned the first practice session and are set to provide the next update at 12:15.

Brad Binder expressed to Simon Crafar in the pit lane that he sincerely wishes they will have the opportunity to head out.

The upcoming Race Direction announcement is scheduled for noon, which is in 10 minutes.

IRTA representatives are visiting each garage. Given that there's no indication of the weather getting better, it's likely that FP1, which was supposed to end 15 minutes ago, might be called off, and additional time could be allocated for this afternoon's practice session.

Here are additional photos from the pit lane as we anticipate the upcoming Race Direction announcement…

I'm

In the pits, Augusto Fernandez is engaged in a card game with the Tech3 team, capturing the current situation perfectly!

Johann Zarco, who won at Phillip Island last year, told Simon Crafar in the pitlane, "While cycling out of the last corner yesterday, I suddenly remembered my victory. It caught me off guard because it's not something I usually think about."

Discussing the distinct difficulty presented by the rapid and smooth track, Zarco noted: "The 100-meter sign for Turn 1 served as my braking point during my time in 125GP, and it remained my braking point in MotoGP last year. It's unbelievable!"

Jack Miller chuckles and gestures a thumbs-up to a young supporter featured on television, who is drinking from his damp sneaker in a 'shoey' celebration!

Marc Marquez is spotted leaving the Gresini garage as the rain keeps pouring down with the same intensity.

Additional photos have been taken from the pit lane…

It

Page Numbering

Sign Up for Our MotoGP Newsletter

Receive the newest updates, special features, interviews, and offers related to MotoGP delivered straight to your email.

To learn more, please refer to our Privacy Policy

Recent Updates

Additional Headlines

Website Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to fully or partially replicate text, images, or drawings in any manner.