Miguel Oliveira was injured🔥 when he ⛄was blown off track by a gust of wind at the end of the 200mph main straight in 2019, bringing out the red flags.

On that occasion, gusts reached 50-60🔴km/h. But weather forecasts predict winds😼 as high as 70-80km/h on Sunday, combined with rain and cold temperatures.

As a result,🐼 following Friday practice, the decision was taken to swap the full Sunday race with the Saturday a𝔉fternoon Sprint.

The half-distance, half-points Sprint will now be held - if cond🍨itions allow - at the planned Grand Prix start time on Sundayꦅ.

• 2023 Australian MotoGP switches to a Saturday rac꧅e
• 168澳洲幸⛎运5官方开奖结果历史:Australian MotoGP: Latest Results
• 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Australian Moto2: Latest Results
• 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Australian Moto3: Latest Results

“After consultation with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, we wanted to wait until today to get the best🍬 forecast that we could ꦆfrom the official bureau. And we have a very good reference of our tolerance in this circuit for wind after having to red flag the qualifying session in 2019,” explained Dorna Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta.

“So it looks 🤪like our forecast for Sunday this year is very similar to the one that we had four years ago. And, as we always say, safety is the most important factor. The safety of the riders and of course the fans and all the people involved in the events.

“After meeting with the teams it's been a unanimous decision to basically switch the Sprint from Saturday to Sunday, and t🐻hen the main race from Sunday to Saturday, at more or less the same times.

“We think it's really important to get the main𝕴 race done here tomorrow in safe condition💟s and all parties have mutually accepted that.

"O🎀ne thing that's changed from the past is the new format for MotoGP - everybody in the paddock was already ready for a race tomorrow afternoon. Sꦐo that clearly paves the way for a change like this."

Former racer Loris Capirossi, Dorna’s representative on Race Direction, emphasised: “Rain is not the main probl𓂃em. The problem is the wind. And here it can change direction really quickly.

“The [forecast] is that we will have around 70 kilometres per hour [onꦫ Sunday] and this is for sure really high. In 2019 we had around 50, 55, 60. This is why we decided to change the race.”

Race Director Mike Webb added that the t♈olerance levels of the present generation of ‘aerodynamic’ prototypes to crosswin🌠ds is now better understood than in 2019, when wings were a relatively new novelty.

“In 2019, when we had the problem [and cancelled qualifying], it was the early years of aero on the bikes🍸. We've now had a lot of experience with the aero and it's partly for that reason that wﷺe understand more how the wind, and these conditions, affect the bikes," Webb said.

MotoGP Sprint 'the priority' for Sunday

While the swap should mean the main gran🧸d prix is safe (albeit perhaps in wet conditions) with gusts of only 15-30km/h forecast for Saturday, a question mark still hangs over the Moto3 and Moto2 Grands Prix🌳, set to take place as usual on Sunday, as well as the MotoGP Sprint.

“Ob𒐪viously, we will react to the forecast for Sunday. We will try to complete the full schedule… if the weather permits. And if we have to stop, we ไwill stop as we always do for safety conditions,” Ezpeleta said.

“The most accurate forecast that we have for Sunday comes sort of in three-hour gaps. So we don't really know what exactly the hour-by-hour forecast will be on Sunday at the mom🌌ent. We will probably know that tomorrow. So if needed we will adjust and prioritise the activities on Sunday.”

And the top pr🌼iority for Sunday will be the premier-class 𝐆Sprint.

“Obviously the MotoGP class is the priority for us,” Ezpeleta said, adding that the morning MotoG♍P warm-up will be useful to gauge the co𝐆nditions for the 1,000cc machines.

“The MotoGP class is probably more sensitive to the wind conditio💞ns than Moto3 and Moto2, as Mike said, because of the aero body. But they will also have a 𝐆warm-up session in the morning.

“Maybe warm-up is a good indication f꧂or us and then we'll judge also about the schedule for Motꦯo3 and Moto2.

“The MotoGP class is our priority but in the past, the conditions h𒉰ave been OK for one class and not for the other, so that's also something to take into consideration.

“But if we need to make [further] changes, we will. Right now the forecast looks like it's pretty steady until about 11:00am, wh🉐ich is the Moto3 race start time.”

Could the Australian MotoGP date be moved?

Although conditions were bright and sunny on Friday, the rescheduling will no doubt fuel the debate over holding the Australian MotoGP so late in the seas🉐on. The 2024 event is also pencilled in for the same weekend next year.

“Well it's a major decision with a lot of factors involved,” Ezpeleta said of the Australian MotoGP date. “The schedule for next year has already been set and I'm not a local or an expert, bu🐟t from what I'm told the weather here is not very predictable unless you're speaking about something like January and February, which is challenging for us for a number of reasons.

“As you know, we have commitments to start in Qatar and the calendar has been published. But yes [extreme weather] is a challenge that we've had in the past [he🦋re] and we’d like to sort of minimise the risk for the future.”

Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia will take an 1☂8-point title lead ov🤡er Jorge Martin into Saturday’s grand prix, with a further 12 points available for victory in the Sunday Sprint, should it go ahead.