Next stop: Round 17 - Buriram, Thailand

For the LIQUI MOLY Intact GP crews around Marcel Schrötter and Jeremy Alcoba, it was a case of packing up quickly and putting the Japan Grand Prix behind them, because from September 30th  to October 2nd, the focus is already on the points chase in Buriram, Thailand, where the Chang International Circuit is welcoming the motorcycle world championship for the third time in its still young history.

The Buriram region is one of the most northeastern provinces of Thailand. The eponymous town has a population of around 30,000, is located 400 km northeast of the capital Bangkok and hosted the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Thailand for the first time in 2018. In addition to the breathtaking scenery, the riders of the LIQUI MOLY Intact GP team can expect not only the fantastic Southeast Asian food, tropical climate, and distinctive culture, but also the Chang International Circuit, which, with its length of 4.6 km and five left-hand and seven right-hand corners, was penned by the German architect Hermann Tilke. Due to Covid-19, it was not possible to host the Motorcycle Grand Prix in Buriram in 2020 and 2021. The anticipation among fans, teams, and riders is all the greater now. 

On the last visit to Thailand in 2019, Germany's Marcel Schrötter finished fourteenth. But after an absence of over two years, will he still have an experience advantage over the countless Buriram rookies, or will the 29-year-old be just as much starting from scratch when the Moto2 class rolls out of the pit lane for the first time again at 04:55 German time on Friday?

One of said Buriram rookies is teammate Jeremy Alcoba, or at least that's how it feels for the youngster, as he hasn't been back there since he started 2018 as a replacement rider for the injured Aron Canet in Thailand. He doesn't have many memories of the track, so the now 20-year-old is hoping to find his rhythm quickly so he can continue the good setup work he did at Motegi. Alcoba proves time and again how quickly he can adapt to unfamiliar tracks and burgeoning challenges. Together with his crew, he will certainly be able to quickly find a feeling on his Kalex again in order to end his recent run of bad luck and finally reward himself for his brilliant opening laps in the races. 

Late risers should once more set their alarm clocks this weekend, as the warm-up starts at 05:20 (CEST) on Sunday morning before the lights go out for the 24-lap Moto2 race at 08:20 (CEST). 

Schedule (acc. to CEST)

Friday
04:00 - 04:50 Moto3 FP1
04:55 - 05:35 Moto2 FP1
05:50 - 06:35 MotoGP FP1

08:15 - 08:55 Moto3 FP2
09:10 - 09:50 Moto2 FP2
10:05 - 10:50 MotoGP FP2

Saturday
04:00 - 04:40 Moto3 FP3
04:55 - 05:35 Moto2 FP3
05:50 - 06:35 MotoGP FP3

07:35 - 08:15 Moto3 Qualifying
08:30 - 09:10 Moto2 Qualifying
09:25 - 09:55 MotoGP FP4
10:05 - 10:45 MotoGP Qualifying

Sunday
05:00 - 05:10 Moto3 Warm-Up
05:20 - 05:30 Moto2 Warm-Up
05:40 - 06:00 MotoGP Warm-Up

07:00 Moto3 Race (22 Laps)
08:20 Moto2 Race (24 Laps)
10:00 MotoGP Race (26 Laps)