Last act at Phillip Island — Fully focussed on World Championship
There’s a lot at stake for the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Team at what is, for now, the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. While the home race is arguably the most important event of the year for Australian native Senna Agius, Manuel Gonzalez aims to defend, and, if possible, extend, his lead in Moto2 again. In Moto3, David Almansa is focused on the battle for the runner-up spot in the world championship, while David Muñoz aims to build on his recent progress.
This weekend’s World Championship round at Phillip Island takes on special significance, as this will be the series´ last visit, for the foreseeable future, to the picturesque island, located two hours’ drive south of Melbourne. As is widely known, starting next year, the Australian Grand Prix will be moved to Adelaide in the neighbouring state of South Australia, where a downtown track is being adapted to meet MotoGP requirements. Phillip Island, on the other hand, ranks high on many people’s list of favourites due to its unique charm, and its incredibly fast and flowing track layout guarantees exciting races in every class every time.
With five races remaining, the battle for the Moto2 title is heating up, even though championship leader Manuel Gonzalez defended his lead with a master-class performance two weeks ago in Indonesia. His lead over his closest rival, Izan Guevara, has nevertheless shrunk to five and a half points. Teammate Senna Agius also made a strong statement with his performance in Lombok. With a strong fourth-place finish, he has put himself back in position to contend for a spot in the top three in the overall standings. The 21-year-old also has fond memories of his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island, having won last year’s race in outstanding fashion.
Although the Moto3 World Championship was already decided in Maximo Quiles’ favour during the last race in Lombok, there is still a lot at stake for David Almansa, who has been in top form since the start of the second half of the season. The 20-year-old Spaniard has his sights set on a major goal: winning the runner-up title in the World Championship. Meanwhile, teammate David Muñoz hopes to build on his recent progress and continue regaining his usual physical condition following his injury layoff.
The weekend's schedule (CEST):
Friday 23 October
00:00 - 00:35 Moto3™ Free Practice 1
00:50 - 01:30 Moto2™ Free Practice 1
01:45 - 02:30 MotoGP™ Free Practice 1
04:15 - 04:50 Moto3™ Practice
05:05 - 05:45 Moto2™ Practice
06:00 - 07:00 MotoGP™ Practice
23:40 - 00:10 Moto3™ Free Practice 2
Saturday 24 October
00:25 - 00:55 Moto2™ Free Practice 2
01:10 - 01:40 MotoGP™ Free Practice 2
01:50 - 02:05 MotoGP™ Qualifying 1
02:15 - 02:30 MotoGP™ Qualifying 2
03:45 - 04:00 Moto3™ Qualifying 1
04:10 - 04:25 Moto3™ Qualifying 2
04:40 - 04:55 Moto2™ Qualifying 1
05:05 - 05:20 Moto2™ Qualifying 2
06:00 MotoGP™ Sprint (13 Laps – 57.824 km)
Sunday 25 October
00:40 - 00:50 MotoGP™ Warm-Up
02:00 Moto3™ Race (21 Laps– 93.408 km)
03:15 Moto2™ Race (23 Laps – 102.304 km)
04:00 MotoGP™ Race (27 Laps – 120.096 km)