FRIDAY UPDATE: 2023 Australian MoไtoGP switches to a Saturday race

Sites such as weather.com warn that Sunday will see a 70% ꦗchance of rain and a temperature peak of just 14 degrees air temperature.

But most worrying i🅰s that while high wind speeds of 40 to 65 km/h are p✅redicted for the spectacular seaside circuit, they ‘could occasionally gust over 80 km/h’.

According to the , 38-49km/h is classed as a ‘strong breeze’. A ‘Gale’ is 62-74km/h, whereupon ‘Twigs🏅 and sm🍬all branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult’. 75-88km/h is a ‘Strong Gale’ where ‘Slight damage occurs to buildings’.

Qualifying at the 2019 Australian MotoGP was cancelled after Miguel Oliveira was blo🀅wn off cour♐se by a gust of wind on the 200mph main straight, raising concerns that the 2023 schedule will also need to be adapted due to the weℱather.

Since the weather for Friday and Saturday looks favourable - wind below 30km/h, t♓emperatures reaching 18-21 degrees and a chance of rain under 25% - one suggestion, by Johann Zarco,ꦆ is that the Saturday afternoon Sprint race might be swapped with the main Sunday grand prix.

That way, MotoGP riders could get a full race distance (with full points) under t൩heir belts but still do a ﷽second (Sprint) race on Sunday afternoon, if conditions allow.

However, it would mean an ♔even longer Saturday - which already includes free practice, qualify🐻ing and a Sprint - and wouldn’t be an option for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, whose only Australian races are scheduled for Sunday.

Phillip Island is the fꦐirst of five remaining MotoGP rounds this season. Francesco Bagnaia leads the world championship standings by 18 points from Jorꩲge Martin,