Tissot Australian Grand Prix 2013

Posted on Oct 14, 2013 by Nick Harris

ROUND SIXTEEN 2013 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY OCTOBER 20

Oxfordshire’s Bradley Smith finished second in the 2009 125cc race and arrives full of confidence after two seventh places in the last two races.

Bradley Smith:
"To be honest Sunday was a good way to end a very positive weekend. During the last three days we improved in every single session, we made progress with the setting of the bike and me finishing in 7th position is obviously a pleasant fact for my championship standing. My second half of the race was quite strong and I am pleased with this. Furthermore we improved my feeling on full fuel load where I normally struggled a lot and also finishing the race still seeing Cal and Alvaro was a very positive feeling. So altogether I’m truly satisfied with this event and I will fly to Australia full of confidence and looking forward to the race next week."

MARQUEZ POISED TO RE-WRITE HISTORY BOOKS
Marc Marquez could re-write the history books at Phillip Island in Australia on Sunday. The 20 year old Spanish Honda rider leads Jorge Lorenzo by 43 points with three rounds remaining. A win on Sunday with Lorenzo finishing third or below would give him the title in his rookie MotoGP season. He would be the youngest ever premier class world champion in the 64 year history of the sport and the first rookie to win the title since Kenny Roberts in 1978.

MARQUEZ CLOSING IN ON TITLE AT THE ISLAND
Twenty year old Spaniard Marc Marquez could clinch the MotoGP™ World title at Phillip Island in Australia on Sunday watched by Casey Stoner the rider he replaced in the Repsol Honda team. Double World Champion Stoner retired at the end of last season but not before winning the MotoGP race at the magnificent 2.764 mile Phillip Island circuit for the last six years. Marquez, who finished second at the last round in Malaysia has one 125cc win at Phillip Island and holds a 43 point advantage over current World Champion Jorge Lorenzo who clinched the title last year after finishing second in Australia. The Yamaha rider finished third in Sepang and knows the title is slipping from his grasp with three rounds remaining.

After the Aragon disaster Dani Pedrosa fought back to win in Sepang but his championship chances have gone and the Repsol Honda rider has nothing to lose as he chases just his second win at Phillip Island in the 27 lap race. Almost matching the success of Stoner in Australia is Lorenzo’s team-mate Valentino Rossi. The nine times World Champion won five successive premier class races at his favourite circuit but as was clearly illustrated in Sepang it will be tough for him to finish on the podium on Sunday.

Cal Crutchlow finished on the podium in Australia last year and will be pushing for a similar finish to consolidate his fifth place in the championship. His Monster Tech 3 team-mate Bradley Smith secured impressive seventh places at the last two races and returns to Phillip Island where he has a 125cc podium finish. Alvaro Bautista moved above the injured Stefan Bradl to grab sixth place in the championship and is in good form as the season draws to a close on the GoandFun Gresini Honda. Bradl looks certain to miss the race after breaking his ankle in a freak accident when he crashed the LCR Honda on Saturday.

PHILLIP ISLAND FACTS AND FIGURES
Circuit Length: 4.4448 kms
Width: 13m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 900m
Left Corners: Seven
Right Corners: Five
Pole Position Record: Casey Stoner/Ducati 1.28.665 (2008)
Lap Record: Nicky Hayden/Honda 1'30.059 (2008)

TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT
Friday 18 October
MotoGP/Moto3/Moto2 FP 1 Connected TV/Online
06:05 – 09:00 Moto3/MotoGP/Moto2 FP 2 Connected TV/Online and British Eurosport 2

Saturday 19 October
MotoGP/Moto3/Moto2 FP3, Connected TV and Online
03:30 – 07:00 Moto3/ Moto2 Qualifying Red Button and British Eurosport 2
05:00 – 06:00 MotoGP qualifying BBC2
13:45 – 14:45 MotoGP qualifying repeat BBC1

Sunday 20 October
02:45 – 05:30 Moto3 and Moto2 races Red Button and British Eurosport 2
05:30 – 07:05 MotoGP race BBC2
14:25 – 16:00 MotoGP race repeat BBC1