MotoGP Gossip: Officials assess Phillip Island season opener switch

- MotoGP officials are considering the potential of moving the Australian round to become the season opener following safety concerns about running the Phillip Island event in October. This year qualifying had to be cancelled on Saturday and completed Sunday morning due to strong winds and storms. (Speedweek)

- Nutritionist Iader Fabbri, who has previously worked with Jorge Lorenzo, Michele Pirro and the Gresini team, says it is possible Andrea Iannone ingested Drostanolone – a banned steroid – through eating meat contaminated with the substance. Iannone is set to have a second analysis and hearing on the 7^th January after being given a provisional ban for failing an anti-doping test. (Corsedimoto.com)

- Former 500cc and MotoGP race-winner Alex Barros has retired from racing in the Brazilian Superbike championship following a fallout over the legality of his title rival Eric Granado’s Honda. (GPOne.com)

- Sandro Cortese, 2012 Moto3 world champion and 2018 World Supersport champion, has been left without a permanent ride for 2019 after his options to stay on the World Superbike grid fell through. Instead the German rider is waiting for a new challenge and is likely to be a favoured replacement rider next year. (Speedweek)

- Ducati will be the first team to present its 2020 MotoGP challenger on the 23^rd January in Bologna before heading to Sepang for the first pre-season test. The event will be live streamed on Ducati’s media channels. (Corsedimoto.com)

- Marc Marquez hosts a dinner with his MM93 Fan Club to celebrate his eighth world title and the Christmas holidays. The Repsol Honda rider continues to ramp up his physiotherapy following shoulder surgery. (Instagram)