The MotoGP arrives in Australia and, for the second consecutive round, Lorenzo Savadori will be replacing Miguel Oliveira on the Trackhouse team's Aprilia. This is an extra commitment for the rider from Emilia. After having participated as a wild card in the factory team at the Jerez, Mugello and Assen GPs, he's already ended up doing a more complex job in Montegi than that of a simple test rider, which he's more familiar with.
But, even if he won't have any problem riding the RS-GP24, learning the Phillip Island circuit - which he raced on in 2010 in the 125 class and in 2018 in the Superbike - will be more complicated.
For Raul Fernandez, who's back from an 11th and a 15th place in the Japan round, the goal will instead be to get closer to the top 10 after his recent difficulties in finding a good pace.
In relation to the condition of the Portuguese rider who fell during Friday's free practice in Indonesia, the team announced that he's continuing physiotherapy to regain full mobility in his right wrist, which was fractured in several places. Next week, he'll be examined by doctors who'll be able to offer more precise news about his possible return for the season finale.
"First of all, I hope Miguel will recover soon. My purpose here will be to continue the development work for 2025. Consequently I'll try different solutions," the Italian rider revealed, eager to race on the Australian track.
"I like the track. It's very varied and has several fast corners. I aim to give my best and have fun. Historically, it suits our bike, so I'll try to win some points and end the championship well," the Spanish rider said.
"In 2023, the race was held on Saturday because of the bad weather conditions forecast for Sunday. I hope this edition will be better, even if it might rain a little at the beginning of the weekend. We're at the beginning of a trio of close races and ,unfortunately, we won't be able to have Oliveira with us. We're monitoring his progress and will see when he can return. Our ambition is to continue to make progress, help Raul progress, and maximize the package at our disposal. The circuit is fantastic, and many fans are expected, so we want to give it our all," Team Manager Davide Brivio commented.