2023-10-21 22:10:34
Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) did not have the opportunity on Sunday to close the gap that separates him from Italian leader Francesco Bagnaia in the world championship, the MotoGP sprint in Australia having been canceled due to conditions weather conditions deemed too dangerous for pilots.
Organizers canceled the race just half an hour before the start of the 13-lap sprint at the Phillip Island circuit, which was sodden and where winds of up to 80 km/h were forecast. “Unfortunately the sprint was canceled due to weather conditions“, the race organizers announced on X.
Martin had won the last four sprints and was on pole position for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. He absolutely wanted to recover points following finishing fifth, where Bagnaia took second. The Italian (Ducati) now takes a 27-point lead over the MotoGP of Thailand next week, with only four stages remaining in the 20-year season.
Forecasts of strong winds had already led organizers to advance the Grand Prix by one day, to Saturday, in order to guarantee the race might take place.
Martin’s Ducati-Pramac teammate, Frenchman Johann Zarco, finished on top with a last-lap overtake to claim his first victory in 120 starts.
The Phillip Island circuit was open on Sunday despite poor conditions, but several riders fell victim to the slippery track in the Moto2 and Moto3 races before the sprint was called off.
The Moto2 race was halted due to weather with only nine out of 23 laps completed.
Italian Tony Arbolino was declared the winner and awarded half points to keep his title hopes alive, 56 points behind Spaniard Pedro Acosta who finished ninth.
Earlier, Turkey’s Deniz Oncu snatched victory from Ayumu Sasaki in the final corners of the Moto3 race, preventing the Japanese rider from taking the lead in the world championship.
Sasaki is now four points behind Spaniard Jaume Masia, who finished eighth.
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