This week starts the final push of the MotoGP season. Heading to Australia, riders face the last abroad double-header before heading back to Europe. It’s the Liqui Moly Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. With 3 riders, including 2 champions, out of the race, we’ll see a mixed-up grid this weekend. Here’s your catch-up of last year and what to expect this time around.
Crashes, Penalties, and a Dominant Win in Moto3
The 2024 Moto3 race in Australia was a dramatic affair. Having qualified in a low 10th position, champion David Alonso was able to storm to the front and take a dominant win. Whilst he had to battle for the top step of the podium initially, with 4 laps to go he returned to the lead. In the final laps, Alonso was about to extend the gap to 2nd by 2.936 seconds.
Runner-up Daniel Holgado also had a disappointing qualifying and started 14th. But he survived a mid-pack crash which saw pole-sitter Iván Ortolá taken out and was able to make his way through the grid. He ultimately took second in the final corner, demoting Adrián Fernández to 3rd.
Stefano Nepa also had an eventful race. During the build-up, he received a double long lap penalty for riding slowly. Whilst he started 6th, once he’d served this he found himself in 18th place. As he continued, his teammate, Nicola Carraro, crashed and in doing so made contact with Nepa, leaving him with damage. Later in the race, he also faced contact with Riccardo Rossi. Despite his penalty and near misses, Nepa just missed the podium, taking 4th place.
Pole to Victory for Aldeguer
Last year, Fermín Aldeguer took pole position in Moto2 by an impressive 0.196 seconds. Whilst he initially lost places to Alonso López and Arón Canet, he quickly regained the lead. But the fight wasn’t over. Canet was keen to take the win and the pair battled throughout the race, swapping the lead between them. On the final lap, Canet took a gamble to make a move. It didn’t pay off, with Aldeguer at the limit to hold Canet off. However, the pair did make contact. Ultimately, Aldeguer won with Canet having to settle for second place.
It was a maiden podium on home soil for rookie Senna Agius. The young Australian started 13th but impressed as he glided through the pack with ease. On Lap 12, he was able to pass championship leader Ai Ogura for 4th place and held him off for the remaining laps. Lopez was looking set to round out the podium, however on lap 20 he crashed. This promoted the #81 to the podium.
6 riders DNFed. With Jake Dixon, Dennis Foggia, and Ayumu Sasaki all colliding on lap 1. Sasaki was able to continue but he would later crash out on lap 17. Zonta van den Goorbergh and Jaume Masiá also had to retire. Comparatively, Somkiat Chantra, Celestino Vietti and Joe Roberts were all absent from the race. The three were nursing injuries and were recovering.
Martín Extended his MotoGP Lead
Coming into the weekend, Jorge Martín was leading the championship by 10 points. Leaving the weekend, that had increased to a 20 point gap to contender Francesco Bagnaia. Martín started the weekend strong, taking pole position and the win in the sprint race. Bagnaia made a good start, improving from 5th to 2nd. But as he looked ahead to challenge the #89, he became vulnerable to Marc Márquez and his teammate Enea Bastianini. Eventually, he was passed by the pair and finished 4th.
Whilst the front was an easy-going ride, the same couldn’t be said further down the grid. Marco Bezzecchi crashed into Maverick Viñales in the closing stages. Viñales was able to walk away but the #72 required a stretcher to leave the track. Whilst he was okay, it got worse for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team as their other rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio, received a penalty for low tyre pressure.
In the main race, it was M. Márquez who took victory – his third with Gresini Racing and fourth in Australia. With only 4 laps to go, Martín made a crucial error. Going wide in the hairpin, he conceded the lead to his fellow Spaniard. Although Bagnaia joined the pair on the podium, he was nowhere to be seen in the race for the win as he finished a whole 10 seconds behind them. Due to his crash the previous day, Bezzecchi had a long lap penalty to serve and he crashed again after taking it.
Australia in 2025
The grid will be heavily altered this weekend. Recent champions, Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín will both be missing due to recent surgeries. Maverick Viñales will also be gone as he continues to recover from his shoulder injury. Instead of the trio, the grid will see will see replacement riders Michele Pirro, Lorenzo Savadori, and Pol Espargaró join the grid.
Following on from his maiden win, Fermín Aldeguer will also look to remain on top whilst Francesco Bagnaia will be hoping that he can return to his Japanese form and keep Bezzecchi from taking 3rd in the standings.
Considering Márquez, Martín and Viñales are out of the race, only 2 of the current grid have won here in MotoGP – Johann Zarco and Álex Rins. With the grid getting closer in performance as the year closes, it could be anyone’s race to win. Keep an eye on Pedro Acosta though as he’s hungry for his maiden win.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
The Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit can be found south of Ventnor, on Phillip Island, in Victoria, Australia. Originally a road course track for road races, it opened in 1928. 24 years later, in 1952, it reopened under its current layout. However, it’s also seen multiple closures for track repairs – most notably in the 1960s and 70s.
Showcasing breathtaking views of the ocean and surrounding scenery, the Phillip Island circuit is one of the fastest and most fluid tracks on the calendar. It has dramatic elevation changes and one long main straight. The 12 turns produce a challenging track for riders as they navigate high-speed cornering and heavy breaking hairpins.
The first MotoGP race at the circuit was in 1989. There was a brief break in the 90s but since 1997, it has been a staple event on the calendar. Valentino Rossi holds the most wins at the circuit at 8 – 5 of which came in the premier class. Australian rider Casey Stoner holds the most consecutive wins at the track with 6, winning from 2007 to 2012.
Schedule
The schedule for the race weekend is as follows. Please note that all times are in CEST.
The mixed grid is sure to stir things up. It will be an eventful race no matter what – make sure to tune in.