Bagnaia warns of a change in the weather: Can the Australian GP go ahead?

Francesco Bagnaia is approaching the MotoGP weekend at Phillip Island without making any grand declarations. On the Thursday before the Australian Grand Prix, the Ducati factory rider made it clear that, for him, the most important thing is to get the feel for his bike right first. The prospect of a change in the weather on Saturday and Sunday is adding to his caution.

Memories of last year also give Bagnaia little cause for confidence: on that occasion, he was only in 13th place before crashing shortly before the end of the race. When asked what result he thought was possible this weekend, Bagnaia replied cautiously: “We’ll have to wait and see. It’ll be more or less the same here as in previous years. The weather’s good on Thursday and Friday, then changes completely for the rest of the weekend.”

Heavy rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday

The fast, flowing circuit demands confidence in the bike. The Italian therefore avoided setting a specific target for the weekend. “I want to enjoy the weekend. But to enjoy the weekend here, you need to feel really comfortable on the bike. I hope that will be the case, but to be honest, it’s going to be difficult,” Bagnaia admitted.

The weather forecast adds to the uncertainty. The Ducati rider fears that the conditions could potentially affect the running of the sessions. “As far as the weather is concerned, it currently looks as though conditions on Saturday and Sunday will be critical and riding may be in doubt. But we’ll have to accept it and try to ride,” explained the Italian.

Bagnaia expressly does not regard rain as an opportunity to improve his starting position. “It’s worse, because if you have no grip and no feel, it gets even worse in the wet. I’m hoping for dry conditions,” he emphasised.

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Can and should the Qatar race go ahead?

As well as the imminent weekend, Bagnaia was also concerned with the unresolved question of whether the race in Qatar can go ahead. Given the unrest in the region, the safety of those involved is his top priority. The situation is currently deemed safe, but that can change from one day to the next.

The outcome of the mid-term elections in the US could alter the situation. “I hope that Dorna is working to ensure our complete safety if we go there. If the situation isn’t safe, they’ll be the first not to want to take any risks. I can’t say any more than that,” explained Bagnaia.