Despite this unusual incident, Bezzecchi managed to overtake Raul Fernandez and win the sprint with a strong pace. However, he faces a challenge in Sunday’s main race: due to the collision with Márquez in Indonesia, Bezzecchi was given a double long-lap penalty, which he must complete during the race. Should he still manage to win, it would be an extraordinary achievement – such a feat has rarely been seen in MotoGP history, most recently in 2021 by Jack Miller at Le Mans, albeit under exceptional circumstances.
Ducati in crisis: Bagnaia again without points
Bezzecchi’s sprint victory moves him up to third place in the world championship and closes the gap on Francesco Bagnaia, who once again had a disappointing race. Bagnaia finished the sprint in second-to-last place, well behind the leaders. Even Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, who stood in for Marc Márquez, showed better pace at times, but remained behind Bagnaia, possibly to avoid internal team pressure.
The mood in the Ducati camp is tense. After the sprint, Bagnaia was largely ignored by team officials, highlighting the dissatisfaction within the management. Bagnaia himself reported again in the media roundabout about problems with the bike, whose behavior he said was unpredictable. Concrete solutions were still lacking.
Bagnaia’s future at Ducati is increasingly being questioned. The Italian is clinging to the successful weekend in Motegi, but even he can see that positive results have become the exception. It remains to be seen whether Ducati can still turn things around.
Ducati dominance in reverse
The Ducati team’s slump continues. A loss of performance was already apparent in Indonesia and became even more evident at Phillip Island. For the first time since Valencia in 2020, no Ducati made it onto the front row of the MotoGP qualifying grid. In the sprint, for the first time in MotoGP history, no Ducati rider finished on the podium. Two impressive winning streaks came to an end this weekend.
According to Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was the best Ducati rider in fifth place, the competition has caught up significantly recently. The advantages Ducati had in recent years have largely been exhausted. Now, the team must react in order to avoid losing further ground. Development is likely to be particularly crucial ahead of the rule change in 2027. The current regulations end in 2026, and Ducati will probably be forced to introduce technical innovations again by then at the latest in order to remain competitive.
Another factor affecting Ducati is the revised concession system, which limits testing opportunities for successful manufacturers. This has helped Aprilia, KTM, Honda, and Yamaha catch up in recent years.
New schedule due to strong winds
The schedule for race Sunday in Australia has been pushed back by one hour due to strong wind forecasts. Moto3 will start at 3:00 a.m., Moto2 at 4:15 a.m., and MotoGP at 6:00 a.m. Central European Time. Weather conditions are expected to improve throughout the day, which should be beneficial for all classes, but especially for MotoGP machines with their sensitive aerodynamics. Strong winds are still expected for the smaller classes, but they are less susceptible than the MotoGP bikes.
It remains to be seen whether the changed schedule will result in better conditions as hoped. The organizers are hoping for a smooth running and an exciting race day at Phillip Island.
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