Phillip Island set for a thriller on Sunday
Phil Branagan
Saturday, 19 October 2024
The all-important MotoGP™ Warm Up starts at 9:40 am, the final 10-minute session before the riders and the bikes have to be ready for the all-important race.
The big question will be; after last year’s brilliant performance can anyone catch Jorge Martin – or will he once again out-speed his tyres? After building a lead of more than three seconds a year ago the Pramac Ducati rider ran out of rear tyre grip late in the race and was passed by four riders on the final lap.
Given his speed in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint, you would be brave to bet against him, but Marc Marquez made a huge error when he ran wide at the first corner and still made it to second place. His form shows that he can win at the track again and take a third victory for the season.
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The other front-row starter is Maverick Viñales, who is also looking to redeem himself. Another bad start put him back in the pack before a crash involving Marco Bezzecchi, but the black Aprilia looks to have the speed to carry the 2018 Phillip Island winner close to a podium finish.
All eyes will be on the front of the grid when the grid lines up for the 27-lap race at 2:00 pm.
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At 11:00 am the first of the Grands Prix is set to start and the challenge for the Moto3™ racers will be to stay in the lead group and prepare for the final laps of the 21-lap journey. Ivan Ortola has taken pole position for the third race in a row but there will be a herd of opposition ready to chase him, including World Champion-elect David Alonso, who is starting from 10th on the grid. Immediately ahead of him is Joel Kelso, who finished on the podium last year, and immediately behind him is Jacob Roulstone, so the Aussies will have a good marker as they try to move forward in the race.
In Moto2™, Fermin Aldeguer has become something of an expert around Phillip Island, and the Spanish teenager will be after an eighth Moto2™ win before he moves up to MotoGP™ next season. There will be a lot of eyes on Ai Ogura to see whether he can seal the 2024 Moto2™ title from ninth on the grid, while Aussie fans will be watching the progress of Senna Agius (from 13th) and impressive rookie Harrison Voight (from 24th).
It will be a good idea to take your place early. The third and final race of the bLUcRU Oceania Junior Cup starts at 9:00 a.m., and one (or more) of the future stars may well be the one to beat.
