Pol Espargaro finished yesterday’s race in 18th position, far from the scoring places, contrasting with the good performance of Brad Binder and Jack Miller aboard the factory KTM.

Still, the GasGas rider stated that he was feeling good in this morning’s warm up, agreeing, however, with the cancellation of the sprint race:

– It’s a shame, I always like to ride here in any conditions. Especially this morning we were very fast, the bike was working very well. In the top eight there were four KTMs, two GasGas and two KTMs and we were very fast and the feeling was very good, so I was really expecting this race in the rain, but yes, at the end of the day it’s like I say, safety first.

The #44 also explained what makes Phillip Island such a complicated track to ride, especially with more adverse conditions, even comparing it to other circuits on the calendar, namely Barcelona:

– I think here at Phillip Island it’s a combination, which ends with a bad result at the end, because the track is not very wide and the speeds in this place are very, very fast, like in the first corner. There are many places where the speed is very high and then you have the wind. I would say that if there is wind at the Barcelona circuit, it won’t be a big problem because the track is a bit wider and there are not such fast corners. It’s not a criticism, it’s what it is. I really like riding on this circuit, I love this place, but it’s also a reality that when the wind appears, on a track that is already challenging, with wind it’s impossible, so it’s a shame because it’s a fantastic place and I think all the riders of all categories have fun here and want to come here to race.

O conteúdo ‘It’s a shame, I always like to ride here in any conditions’ – Pol Espargaro aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Joan Mir did not have a less than positive weekend in Australia, showing once again many difficulties in riding his Honda. In yesterday’s race he ended up seeing a crash spoil potential points win, thus ending the race early.

Today, in a debrief after the cancellation of the sprint, Joan Mir showed that he agrees with the decision not to hold the sprint, as the conditions worsened throughout the morning:

– Well, let’s say it was the expected Sunday, no? Honestly this morning we tried the track with the conditions in full condition, but it was already complicated, but we could drive. Then the conditions started to get worse and it was probably the right decision to cancel the sprint. We have to get ahead.

The 2020 world champion also said that in Thailand he hopes to be able to demonstrate the full potential of his Honda, with the help of the positive aspects he took from the Australian GP:

– The weekend we had wasn’t the best, but we managed to take something positive for the following races. I think in Thailand we can again show our potential and thank you all for your support.

O conteúdo ‘Conditions started to get worse and it was probably the right decision’ – Joan Mir aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After the exchange of schedules of the sprint race with the long race, it was expected that the sprint race would be cancelled this sunday, after all forecasts pointed to very complicated conditions for the riders, and after a very complicated Moto2 race.

Still, the riders spoke to journalists and Raul Fernandez was one of the defenders of canceling today’s sprint, stating that the conditions were not met for the sprint to take place, despite the weather situation being stable in the warm up:

– In my case, I think they made the right decision, because this morning the track wasn’t so bad, the wind was stable. The problem was during the Moto2 race, the wind started to rise, it was too aggressive. You’ve seen a lot of crashes, so for me, they made a good decision.

The #25 of CryptoDATA RNF Aprilia also said that the change of schedules was unanimous between the riders, already anticipating that on sunday it would be impossible to race:

– That’s why (weather conditions) we tried everything to make the long race yesterday, because we knew there was a possibility that there wouldn’t be the sprint, it was in everybody’s mind, so it was a good decision.

O conteúdo ‘You saw a lot of crashes, so for me, they made a good decision’ – Raul Fernández aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Maverick Vinales showed good pace during Friday and day one of the Australian Grand Prix, but was unable to reflect this on the Q2 timesheet, qualifying only 9th for the long race, and eventual sprint.

In a debrief after the long race, the Aprilia rider revealed that his pace was the same as yesterday, but his rivals managed to raise the bar, something that the #12 could not keep up with. Still, Vinales stated that he knew the difficulties he would go through, since yesterday:

– I was the same yesterday, honestly I rode the same lap times, I didn’t slow down, just the opponents were faster. Honestly I knew from Friday, as soon as I lost 0.3s in sector 4, it means you don’t have traction, so it was tough, a tough race. I tried to control the slippage of the tyre, but anyway the tyre fell off very early on. It was hard, but in these tough times is where you need to become stronger and think ahead. Tomorrow we have a new race and it’s an opportunity to see things for next year. So if we can win something tomorrow in the warm-up and in the race, we will have positive things for next year. Honestly I’m not disappointed, because since Friday I knew it was going to be a very difficult track for us, but of course I always want more, I always want to win that of course. The lads gave everything, I gave everything, and today this was our level.

“Top Gun Maverick” also spoke about the choice of tyres for tomorrow, stating that he hopes to be more competitive, on a circuit that many say is the Aprilia rider’s specialty:

– With the soft tyre I’ll be more competitive because you have more grip, so basically balance things out, we’ll see. It’s a short race, but we can get a good result. Let’s see if we run, first of all. (…) I know, and where the bike is working well, I can make a difference for others. In sector 3 I was fast, which means I have something special about this track, I just can’t do it with this bike. It is what it is. I don’t like it, I want to be first, but on this track the bike is not at its best and we have to understand and accept it. Of course I want more. I want to be clearer, but I can’t ask for more from the guys who give 100% during the weekend.

O conteúdo ‘Where the bike is working well, I can make a difference for others’ – Maverick Viñales aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jack Miller had a very promising start to the weekend at his home circuit, but ended up qualifying only in 8th position this morning, managing to finish the race one position higher, in 7th place.

Speaking at the end of the race, the Australian rider said he felt good during the race, showing that it was difficult to manage the tires during the race:

– I felt good about the race. We wanted a little more, but that’s what we had today. I felt reasonably strong all weekend, especially in the middle of the circuit, in sector 2 and 3 I felt good. The last sector, especially in the race, I was trying to control the rear at the exit of turns 11 and 12, but I was having a bit of a lack of support at the front and I wasn’t able to let the bike loose during the corner as I would have liked and I was a bit slow on corner entry and then I had to be a bit slow on the exit so I didn’t ruin the rear tyre.

Miller also agreed with his teammate when it came to cold air and the influence of that on the front tyre:

– Definitely Brad’s comments are mine, about the fresh air in the front tyre and being in the slipstream, as something that makes a difference. But overall, it was positive. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow, hopefully in the Sprint race. (…) The tyre kept getting colder and cooler and that helped to keep the tyre temperature when (Alex) Marquez and Aleix (Espargaro) passed me at the end of the race.

Finally, the #43 was hopeful about the change in weather conditions for tomorrow, hoping that it will be possible to carry out the sprint race:

– I feel sad for the Australian fans, but this is the risk of running here. We’ve had the best venue for motorcycle racing for the last three days, but the irony of that is that it also turns around very fast. That’s why it’s keeping your fingers crossed. We’re all freaking out, but it could be the typical one at Phillip Island and the exact opposite of what is predicted, but we’ll have to wait and see.

O conteúdo ‘We wanted a little more, but that’s what we had today’ – Jack Miller aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

KTM showed excellent pace from the first day in Australia, with the riders of the official team and GasGas managing to occupy top positions on the timesheets early on. Today, in the morning, Brad Binder even managed to qualify in 2nd, in a qualifying dominated by Jorge Martin.

Already in the race, Binder would end up finishing in 4th position, after a huge fight in the final laps. Speaking after the race, the South African rider said he was somewhat disappointed to have the feeling that he could have done a little more:

– Today everything went very well until three laps from the end. I think I had a great qualifying, the best I’ve had in MotoGP, so I was happy to be on the front row. It’s really cool not to have anyone in front of you, you don’t get that very often. That was fantastic. As for the race I felt good, I was really trying to keep the tyre as much as possible. When I realised that Di Giannantonio could pass me, I started to defend too much, especially in the last sector, so when I started to follow him and realised how fast I could be without putting too much more effort on the tyre, I took a step again. I could see Jorge (Martin) coming back to us, so I was a bit excited and focused on that, I wasn’t necessarily thinking I had 4 riders behind me. Then when Zarco passed me, I lifted the bike a little and it was enough for them to pass me and then I couldn’t compose myself to pass someone until the end. So it was a bit tricky at the end, but 4th is 4th, it’s good points and a good finish, but I’m sorry for my team because we could have done a little bit more today.

Brad Binder also said that he was surprised by Jorge Martin’s pace on the soft tyre, and was pleased with the evolution of his KTM and the proximity to the Ducati:

– As soon as we got on the grid I saw the white line on (Martin’s) tyre and I realised that he had chosen the soft, so I knew it was going to be almost impossible to keep up with him at the start. I had to let him go. He kept up an insane pace until there were probably 10 laps to go. It was the first time I saw that it was stabilizing. He did an excellent job of keeping the tyre soft for such a long duration, because I think we were going to lose a lot sooner. Today I loved racing, especially in good conditions like today. We’ll see tomorrow. (…) I don’t think we’re too far away, we’re too close. For me, clearly at the end they had more grip than us (Ducati riders), even though I noticed that on my tyre all the time, they had something extra there. Anyway I think it was to be expected because we are always a bit more aggressive with the tyres than some of our opponents, so overall I think it was a positive day. Last year there was nothing left of the tyre and today I came to the most competitive finish.

O conteúdo ‘Today everything went very well until three laps from the end’ – Brad Binder aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martin led from the first to the last lap, but it was exactly there, on the last lap, that the 2nd place in the championship gave up the lead of the race to his teammate Johann Zarco.

Being the only one in the front group on the soft rear tyre, it was clear that Jorge Martin was struggling to manage the compound chosen for the rear wheel. In a debrief, Jorge Martin was resigned to the result of the race, assuming that it was 100% his choice to put a different compound from the others at the rear:

– Yes, so close. Of course, now it’s very easy to understand which would be the best choice, but it was my choice 100% to go with the soft tyre (at the rear) I tried it and it didn’t work, but I’m happy with my performance. I think I rode very smooth, very good. I tried to be quite gentle with the tyres, but in the end it didn’t work. It’s a learning experience for the future. (…) I think with seven laps to go was the moment I saw I was in trouble, because they were catching me about 4 tenths a lap, but I was pushing hard, but I couldn’t accelerate properly. I was able to brake and have some cornering speed, but I couldn’t have power and rear grip. I just tried to finish as best I could and that was 5th position.

The #89 also stated that he lost hope of defending the lead, right at turn 2 on the last lap, when he realized that his opponents were already extremely close, also stating that he was happy with Zarco’s victory, and that the championship remains open:

– They recovered 0.4s on the penultimate lap, so I had half a second, so I thought maybe I would make it, but as soon as I came out of Turn 2, I saw that they were very close. I tried to close at Turn 4, but Zarco was focused and ready for the win, and I want to congratulate him. And then I tried not to crash and to finish in 5th position was the most I could do. (…) Certainly he deserved the win and I’m very happy for the team and for him. Now I think we’re very close in the team championship, I think. So it’s a good point, but I wanted another one. It’s still up to me, so I have to be smart and not make these mistakes.

O conteúdo ‘With seven laps to go was the moment I saw I was in trouble’ – Jorge Martin aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaro will be left off the MotoGP grid in 2024, but he is still committed to finishing the 2023 season with good results. On the first day of practice in Australia, the #44 even managed to get a place in the top 5, qualifying directly for Q2.

In a debrief after finishing the first day of the GP, Pol Espargaro said he was happy with his pace, stating that he was enjoying his GasGas and showing that he agreed with the change in schedules:

– It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t bad. Honestly this morning I struggled a bit with the medium rear tyre, but when we put on the soft rear, it was really good. The bike is working well, I feel good riding the bike and I got a good time behind Brad (Binder), and he’s riding on another level, so I’m very happy. I’m enjoying every lap of this circuit. (…) But at the moment I feel like I can perform well, regardless of whether it’s the long race or the sprint, but looking at the weather conditions, it’s better to have the race tomorrow and not on Sunday.

The GasGas rider also said that the risks for Sundays are not only related to the wind, but to the combination of factors, stating that, in his opinion, the huge downforce can even be a help in these conditions and not harmful:

– I think it’s a combination. Cold, plus the wind, plus the rain. If we had a lot of wind, which I think are the worst conditions you can have on a MotoGP bike. The wind is very annoying, also in Moto2 and Moto3. But if you then add it to very cold conditions, it’s very bad, even if it’s dry. So if you put water in it… it gets risky. (…) In fact, it’s the other way around. Maybe you see a little less or so, but the bike is more stable with the wings, I think it’s better, especially with the front, it’s more glued to the ground.

O conteúdo ‘I feel good riding the bike and I got a good time behind Brad’ – Pol Espargaro aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

At a time when Aprilia riders are reportedly receiving huge harassment from Repsol Honda to take the place left by Marc Marquez, Maverick Viñales is showing service, also showing that he is satisfied with his RS-GP.

There has been constant happiness on the Spanish driver’s face throughout the season and Friday at Phillip Island brought more smiles, with the ‘Top Gun Maverick’ ending the day in 3rd position. In a debrief, the spanish rider said that little or nothing changed in his Aprilia, revealing only the lack of grip of the rear wheel in the last corner:

– It wasn’t bad, I’m happy. Very happy. The positive thing is that we were able to find good speed again and a good feeling with the bike, on a different track again and that’s great, it’s good news. There’s not much more to say about today honestly. I tried to ride the bike, understand the tyres, understand what’s going to happen in the race, the pace and we didn’t work too much on the bike because we think it’s working quite well. Only at the exit of the last corner; we are with bad traction, but it’s something we have to work on a little bit with the electronics. (…) In sector 3 I’m very fast. For me it’s just a matter of traction, because the bike is working really well, so it’s just a matter of traction. We must understand that and that’s all. It doesn’t mean that the bike is malfunctioning because it has little traction in the last corner. The bike is working well, it’s just missing that, but it’s not just me, it’s all Aprilia. It’s something we have to understand for tomorrow.

Viñales was also in favor of the race direction in changing the schedules, putting the long race on Saturday and the Sprint on Sunday, saying that after so many rounds, all the riders are ready, pointing out Jorge Martin, Brad Binder and Jack Miller as the riders to take into account tomorrow:

– They’re all ready. It was a good decision. They’re all set. After running 5 weeks in a row everyone is ready, it’s not like the second race… Everyone is ready. Today, only three riders could make a difference, but it’s going to be tough. (…) I think Martin is very, very fast and so are the two KTM riders. They’re also very fast. Not just on one lap. I don’t know, I think with the soft I get the best pace, on paper, but we need to improve the last sector and with that I can be at 1.29 low. Let’s see if tomorrow we improve and then nothing else. It was a good day.

O conteúdo ‘After running 5 weeks in a row everyone is ready’ – Maverick Viñales aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marco Bezzecchi has already been in the fight for the championship lead, but in the last rounds, with some bad luck in the mix, the Mooney VR46 rider was out of contention for the leadership of the world championship.

Arriving in Australia, the #72 expected that the physical limitations would make a dent in his progress from day one, saying that the change from the long race to tomorrow can be a help:

– It wasn’t bad, but I expected a bit better here to be honest. The pain is less, but still hurts from last week and here with the changes of direction, at high speeds, with the heavy bike and my style, part of the body is more tired than I expected, but overall I knew that, so I can’t complain. (…) In terms of physical condition, for me it’s better because I have one less day of riding in my body. For sure it will be difficult for the tyres, but anyway, I prefer to suffer less in the physical aspect.

Bezzecchi was still pleased with his pace, naturally expecting improvements for tomorrow, both in the grip of the track and in his riding and Ducati set-up:

– I’m quite happy with today. It looks like the KTM’s at the moment are a bit stronger, but usually when the grip is low and they have good grip on the exit (of the corner) … Maybe tomorrow the track will improve, and we’ll be able to get closer. Normally it’s like that, but for sure they will also improve, but anyway for me, I have to adjust some things on the bike, but also on the riding. It’s a combination, always. I was quite fast, my pace was good, so I can’t complain.

O conteúdo ‘I expected a bit better here to be honest’ – Marco Bezzecchi aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.