MotoGP™ is ready to go again after a small week of rest for the troops, either spent back home for some, or discovering new places for the others. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad will be traveling to Australia without Maverick Viñales, who will be replaced by Pol Espargaro for the forthcoming rounds 19 and 20. Maverick, together with his team, has elected for more recovery and rehab work away from the saddle of the KTM RC16 to build up strength in his left shoulder.

Grand Prix of Australia

Pol Espargaro will be stepping up again with us for the third time this season, after replacing Maverick Viñales in Czechia and Hungary, when he respectively scored 10th and 8th positions in the main races. Pol, who has also been busy with Red Bull KTM testing duties in 2025, will slip into our pit box to tackle the fast curves of Phillip Island, and the Sepang International Circuit for the latest back-to-back swing of fixtures overseas. He will join Enea Bastianini, arriving in Australia eager to turn things around after two tricky rounds in both Japan and Indonesia. The Italian will aim to reunite with the feeling from the first rounds post-summer break, which lead to his first podium in orange in Catalunya. The number 23 got the bronze medal in the sprint last season Down Under, before scoring a top 5 on the Sunday, so we hope Phillip Island can be the track to get back to full form!

Watch out for your alarms again as there will be ‘quite a big’ time difference if you are following us from Europe. The Australian Grand Prix action will start on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 local time (GMT+11), which will be followed in the afternoon by the Practice session at 15:00 LT. Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro will then be back in action for a busy Super Saturday, with the qualifying sessions starting at 10:50 LT, both preceded by FP2 at 10:10 LT.  In the afternoon, the Tissot Sprint will see MotoGP™ riders race for thirteen laps at 15:00 (GMT+11), and the main showdown will be on Sunday with the main race at 14:00 (GMT+11). We hope  to see many Aussies show us some support!

ENEA BASTIANINI: "The two previous rounds in Japan and Indonesia were really tough for us, somehow we felt like we were back to the same bad feeling on the bike that we had at the start of the season... The week at home was good for us, to reset, and arrive at this new doubleheader extra motivated to get better. We understood a few things to improve in Indonesia, which I am hoping we can apply this week, and hopefully we can be more competitive. Phillip Island is a really nice track, but there is usually a lot of wind, which I have always been struggling with. I already know I will have to fight it, but we arrive with a positive mindset, so let's see what Australia has to offer!"

POL ESPARGARO: "As I said in my previous Grand Prix appearances, having to do it because a teammate is injured is not something I particularly like. I know that Maverick has made a huge effort to keep racing, so the first thing I want to say is that I hope this absence helps him to speed up his recovery, and that he can come back as soon as possible, because we need him at KTM. I’m returning to my Tech3 family and, as in Brno and Balaton Park, with the goal of helping the project as much as I can, and making the most of these weekends to make progress with our bike and support the other riders. Phillip Island is a circuit I really like, although it’s been a while since I last rode there. As always, I’ll try to give my best to build a productive weekend for everybody."

NICOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "The last part of the Asian tour is around us, with our next stop in Australia at the mythical Phillip Island layout. This circuit, based two hours south of Melbourne, is one the last ‘old style’ tracks remaining in the championship, and is one of the riders’ favorites. Unfortunately, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team will head to Australia without Maverick Viñales. Since his injury in Sachsenring, Maverick has tried to comeback multiple times, first in Spielberg, and then Barcelona, not without pain, but things were clear as crystal in Indonesia, as we understood that his lack of strength was preventing him from riding the MotoGP bike at the highest level. So, it became the smartest thing to do to withdraw from the Indonesian Grand Prix, and to skip on the next two events in Australia and Malaysia, to fully focus on recovery. We are welcoming again Pol Espargaro, who did two great rounds with us in Brno and Balaton Park, and we know he will be super eager to help the whole KTM project with two important full race weekends. The last rounds were tough for Enea Bastianini, so we urgently need to switch things around, and move forward, especially after KTM’s performance in Mandalika. We know he is capable of reversing the situation, he has already done it this season, and Australia can be the perfect place to do it."

ABOUT THE TRACK

Phillip Island, the self-styled home of Australian motorsport, is steeped in motor racing tradition, with the first car races having been held there on public roads in the 1920s. The first motorcycle races took place in 1931 and a permanent track was built in 1956. The circuit fell into disrepair during the late 70s and early 80s until it was bought in 1985 and given a AUS $5m facelift. MotoGP™ returned in 1989 and 1990 before becoming a regular fixture once more from 1997 onwards. The Phillip Island circuit is blessed with breathtaking scenery and beautiful ocean views and, as one of the fastest, most fluid, tracks on the calendar, it continues to provide some of the most spectacular racing in the MotoGP™ season.

TRACK RECORDS

All Time Record: 2023 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'27.246 - 183.5 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - M. Marquez (SPA) - 1'27.765 - 182.4 km/h
Best Pole: 2023 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'27.246 - 183.5 km/h
Top Speed: 2022 - E. Bastianini (ITA) - 356.4 km/h