MotoGP in Australia: Wind and Safety Issues

As strong winds loom over Phillip Island, Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia is spearheading calls among MotoGP riders to reschedule the Australian Grand Prix from Sunday to Saturday, prioritizing safety in the face of potentially hazardous conditions.

Bagnaia, the reigning world champion, intends to raise the matter directly with the safety commission during Friday’s meeting with race direction and safety officers. “I think a good solution will be to make the long race tomorrow,” he said during his unprompted media briefing. “The track is very, very bumpy, and the wind today was already on the limit—and it looks like it will be the day with the least wind. Sunday could be very tricky, like it was three years ago. So it will be important to speak well about safety and try to find some solution.”

The forecast predicts gusts reaching up to 60km/h on race day, exacerbating a perennial challenge at the coastal circuit. Modern MotoGP bikes, with their advanced aerodynamics, have grown increasingly sensitive to such crosswinds, turning what might once have been manageable into a high-stakes gamble—especially during the 27-lap grand prix, where riders hurtle into corners at speeds exceeding 300km/h.

This isn’t uncharted territory. In 2023, MotoGP preemptively swapped the Melbourne weekend’s schedule due to predictions of heavy rain and wind, successfully staging the full-distance race on Saturday. The Saturday sprint, relocated to Sunday, was ultimately canceled as conditions deteriorated.

Bagnaia isn’t alone in his advocacy. Honda’s Luca Marini, his fellow Italian, urged proactive measures to avert disasters in the support classes. “I hope that somebody will take the decision before seeing Moto2 riders crash,” he said. “Because this happened in the past, and it’s something that we don’t want. It’s better to be more careful, more on the safe side, because this track is heavy when you crash.”

Yamaha’s Alex Rins echoed the sentiment, flagging the issue even before completing his first laps on Friday. Pramac Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira, scarred by a 2019 practice crash where a gust blew him off the track into the grass at Turn 1, called it “the logical choice.” “If the wind gusts are, as predicted, over 60km/h, it’s going to be pretty hard to race,” he explained. “I don’t know about the other categories—they’re not as critical as for our bikes. So I would race [the main race] tomorrow, even if the body doesn’t really like it.”

Trackhouse Aprilia’s rookie Ai Ogura, returning from injury, offered measured support: “If it’s clear to see that it’s better conditions tomorrow, then I agree to do the main race tomorrow. But… I’m not fighting for something big! Let others decide, and I’ll just follow what they do.”

The proposed swap would slot the premier-class main event into Saturday’s prime slot, relegating the 13-lap sprint to Sunday. Oliveira cautioned against rigid thresholds, noting that consistent 40km/h winds are adaptable, but sudden gusts above 60km/h introduce chaos—particularly in the pack’s early laps, where slipstreaming amplifies unpredictability. “In practice, you can defend yourself—you go wide, brake earlier,” he said. “But going all together into the first lap… it makes racing not really racing, but just staying on the track.”

While the weekend’s outlook is less dire than 2023’s deluge, the riders’ unified push underscores a growing emphasis on rider welfare. All eyes will be on the safety commission’s deliberations, with Oliveira predicting a split: “Probably many guys will say ‘nah, let’s race!’ and others will say it’s impossible. We know how it is.”