18 points. 22 riders. One island. The title fight is ready to boil over Down Under
Strap in! One of the greatest sporting spectacles on Earth is about to get underway as MotoGP™ returns to Phillip Island
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
When the Tissot Sprint was announced for 2023, where did your mind go? For many, it was the fierce, fabulous and fast Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and for very good reason. Now, the time has come to take on one of the true greats once more and we get to see the lights go out not just once, but twice. If you’ve watched before, you know what we mean. If you haven’t, just get ready.
Even better, as MotoGP™ arrives back in Australia there’s truly everything on the line after an unbelievable whiplash twist in the title fight. On Saturday in Indonesia, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) continued his stunning run, taking the Championship lead for the first time as he won his fourth Sprint on the bounce and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) struggled to eighth after failing to make it out of Q1. But on Sunday, Martin made a sudden, shocking error to crash out the lead – and Bagnaia had already been on quite some mission to slice through the pack. With Martin’s crash, third became second and then the Italian attacked Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) to take the lead and win. What. A. Twist. And what a performance from a Pecco some had already started to write off.
Now it’s time to take on the Island and the title fighting duo will be stealing plenty of spotlight as the battle just gets hotter and hotter. We’re also in need of a real duel on track to see the gloves come off. Could the Island be the place? Last year, Bagnaia was on the podium and took the Championship lead that would lead to his first premier class crown on this very turf. Martin, after some hot pace early on, was only seventh… but the top seven were covered by eight tenths. For racing series with more wheels, that’s an almost offensively small gap.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, ain’t out of it yet either. It’s a long shot, but the Italian soldiered on at Mandalika despite that recent collarbone surgery, and in Australia last year was very, very fast – as was teammate Luca Marini. What can they do Down Under this time around? Can Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) join that fight at the front? Has Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) got more impressive form after his best finish yet? What about his teammate Alex Marquez on the road to recovery? And what can we expect from Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he gets back in the groove? Eight Ducatis will be roaring down that Gardner Straight.
Let’s go back to Viñales, however. If you listed the venues you’d expect BatMav – we’ll let the fans decide whether that should stick – to threaten at the front, there’d be a few on there. Phillip Island? This place would definitely feature. Coming off the back of that performance in Indonesia too, the number 12 really could be one to watch, having been almost teasingly close to making that history as the first rider to win with three machines in the MotoGP™ era.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), meanwhile, arrives from bad luck and hot speed wanting a lot more reward, and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) would also like a little luck back after a bit of a shunting from former teammate Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) at Mandalika. Raul Fernandez’ (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team), meanwhile, needs to rediscover that upward trajectory after a much tougher time of it in Indonesia. He’d been on a run of top ten finishes before yes, taking points last time out, but down in a P13 that was the last of the riders on the same lap.
Also having a much tougher time of it in Indonesia after some real steps forward of late was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Two DNFs and nothing much to show from the weekend – except a whole lotta love from one of the sport’s biggest markets – leave the number 93 looking for another uptick Down Under. But he is and has been, since a certain number 27 retired, the king of the Island. He was on the podium, and nearly the top step, in 2022, and he can’t be counted out. Even in the situation in which he finds himself in 2023. Can he?
That “nearly” to quantify Marquez’ 2022, however, came courtesy of now LCR Honda Castrol rider Alex Rins, who was back in the top ten at Mandalika for the first time since his broken leg. That’s impressive enough, and he played a masterpiece last season. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will want to learn a few of those secrets on the other side of the garage, and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) also wants a lot more as the Hondas all had a tougher weekend last time out, especially after the return to the front the number 36 had in India.
Speaking of a return to the front, and in this case just tenths off the win, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) completed the closest podium of the year so far in Indonesia. He qualified well, had a good Sprint and then seriously impressed in the Grand Prix race, scything through the gap to home in on the win and very nearly take it. Can Phillip Island be kinder too, despite it seeing him lose that Championship lead last season? For teammate Franco Morbidelli it’s a slightly opposite arrival as he suffered some issues at Mandalika and was ultimately a few laps down. Still, on Sunday his fastest lap was only a tenth off Quartararo.
Finally, KTM and GASGAS. At GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 it’s all about finding much better fortunes Down Under for both Augusto Fernandez and Pol Espargaro, with both enduring a tougher run of late. Better fortune is something also sought by Binder after a slightly adventurous Mandalika. On Saturday, he got taken out by Aleix Espargaro and on Sunday, he clashed with Marini AND Oliveira in two uncharacteristic incidents, both of which earned him a Long Lap. Uncharacteristic in that the South African usually poises his aggression perfectly. After a crash in Japan too, Binder will want a tidier weekend overall Down Under, but he can take heart from some speed in Indonesia as he came back through to sixth despite those excursions required in penance.
Last and by no means least, home hero Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be ready to get his elbows out at Phillip Island. The Australian is having a year of ups and downs in his new adventure with KTM, but there have been plenty of the former and he’ll want to make home turf count for another. The awesome Turn 4 now officially bears his name as we arrive for another showdown too, and fans are guaranteed a Thriller from Miller as he rides for them and some home glory…
SHOWTIME AT PHILLIP ISLAND
We’re underway at 15:00 local time on Saturday for the Sprint, before the GP race on Sunday fires up at 14:00.
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +11)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 14:00 (GMT +11)
Acosta aims to hammer home his advantage in Australia
With a top five on the grid covered by less than a tenth in Indonesia, it was no surprise that missing out on the front row was no ominous sign for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Once the lights went out the number 37 was off like a shot, and once in the lead he pulled another Acosta. That advantage is now 65 points at the top of the table, so can he do it again?
Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) will want to be back on that podium and get in Acosta’s way, however, and Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) will want more. And can Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) finally crack that podium?
The rider who stole the spotlight last season was Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) though. After a tougher and scrappier run, can the number 21 find another ace up his sleeve – quite literally – this weekend? We’ll find out at 12:15 (GMT +2) as Moto2™ takes on Phillip Island!
Advantage Masia on the road to the Island
As he crossed the line at Mandalika, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) probably thought it had been quite a tough day at the office. But in reality, the Championship leader only increased his advantage as Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) had crashed on the Warm Up lap and didn’t recover to points, and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had not one, but two Long Lap penalties – one of which sent him down the order by way of a time penalty after the flag. All said and done, Masia started the weekend a handful of points clear and is now 16 points ahead of Holgado – and that’s a whole podium’s worth.
Last year at Phillip Island, Sasaki was just off the podium and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) second as the two escaped in a smaller leading group, which could be good news for them on our return. The veterans will also be hoping that first time winner in Indonesia Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), and podium finishers David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), feel the pinch of less experience back on the Island… but will they? Tune in this weekend for more Moto3™ at 11:00 (GMT +11) to find out!
