MotoGP publishes new Sunday schedule for Australian GP amid windy weather

MotoGP has announced that it is proactively changing the schedule for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday due to the expected windy weather at Phillip Island.

The grand prix has now been pushed back by an hour to “ensure the best possible conditions”, with the start times for the Moto2 and Moto3 races also adjusted accordingly.

MotoGP’s headline event of the weekend will now take place at 3pm local time (4am GMT) on Sunday, as opposed to 2pm AEDT (3am GMT) as originally scheduled.

In a statement issued on Monday, MotoGP stated: “Due to the weather forecast at Phillip Island, the timetable for Sunday at the 2025 Liqui Moly Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has been adjusted to one hour later.

“Start time for MotoGP Warm Up will be 10:40.

“The races will take place at: 12:00 Moto3, 13:15 Moto2, 15:00 MotoGP.

“This proactive change aims to ensure the best possible conditions for track action and spectators.”

Gust of winds reaching speeds of up to 50km/h are forecast on Sunday, leading to some concerns about the safety of riders in Melbourne.

Some riders, including Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, called for the grand prix to be brought forward to Saturday afternoon, when the conditions are expected to be much better.

There is a precedent for such a move, with the 2023 Australian GP rescheduled to Saturday due to the threat of heavy rain and high-speed wind. The change was vindicated when the grand prix ran smoothly, but the sprint had to be cancelled after being pushed back to Sunday.

However, KTM’s Pedro Acosta advocated for the schedule to remain unchanged, claiming wind alone shouldn’t prompt a big shift to the timetable.

Updated Australian GP schedule in major timezones