It’s a recurring subject, a Gordian knot that hasn’t been resolved. This Australian Grand Prix is a popular event on the calendar due to a selective Phillip Island route. But there is a problem: the date of its event which is not really at the best of the seasons in these latitudes. And its schedules, necessarily out of sync with a Europe that must be satisfied because of TV rights. This all influences the condition of the track, the evolution of which can lead to an increase in pilot falls. So something has to change, but the room for maneuver is limited…
The latest guidance would see the Australian Grand Prix in 2019 take place at 15:00 p.m. local time rather than 16:00 p.m. But even moving the program by an hour means exposing yourself to a dissuasive butterfly effect. On this theme, the one who has eight victories at Phillip Island has room to develop. It is Valentino Rossi which makes a historical reminder: “ it's a long story... We've been asking the Safety Commission for years, we want to come to Phillip Island in March, that's the best time. We could start the season here like we used to ».
However… " But that's impossible, because the Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place in Melbourne. The two Grand Prix promoters are the same and they say: “no, definitely not”. So it's difficult. But you can at least postpone the start time, from 16:00 p.m. to 14:00 p.m. But we are told that 16 p.m. is better than 00 p.m. Dorna assures us that this is a decision of the organizer… we have already asked them 14 times! Then we proposed a compromise: 00 p.m. Once again, we were told: never. We start at 15 p.m. or not at all ».
During this edition at Phillip Island, Pedrosa et Márquez fell during FP1, Redding, Bautista, Crutchlow et Nakagami during FP2. The Australian Grand Prix takes place a week later than in the past as the Thai Grand Prix is now scheduled for October 7.
