Extreme weather forecast for Sunday at Phillip Island

FRIDAY UPDATE: 2023 Australian MotoGP switches to a Saturday race

Sites such as weather.com warn that Sunday will see a 70% chance of rain and a temperature peak of just 14 degrees air temperature.

But most worrying is that while high wind speeds of 40 to 65 km/h are predicted for the spectacular seaside circuit, they ‘could occasionally gust over 80 km/h’.

According to the Beaufort Wind Scale, 38-49km/h is classed as a ‘strong breeze’. A ‘Gale’ is 62-74km/h, whereupon ‘Twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult’. 75-88km/h is a ‘Strong Gale’ where ‘Slight damage occurs to buildings’.

Qualifying at the 2019 Australian MotoGP was cancelled after Miguel Oliveira was blown off course by a gust of wind on the 200mph main straight, raising concerns that the 2023 schedule will also need to be adapted due to the weather.

Since the weather for Friday and Saturday looks favourable - wind below 30km/h, temperatures reaching 18-21 degrees and a chance of rain under 25% - one suggestion, by Johann Zarco, is that the Saturday afternoon Sprint race might be swapped with the main Sunday grand prix.

That way, MotoGP riders could get a full race distance (with full points) under their belts but still do a second (Sprint) race on Sunday afternoon, if conditions allow.

However, it would mean an even longer Saturday - which already includes free practice, qualifying and a Sprint - and wouldn’t be an option for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, whose only Australian races are scheduled for Sunday.

Phillip Island is the first of five remaining MotoGP rounds this season. Francesco Bagnaia leads the world championship standings by 18 points from Jorge Martin,