MotoGP 2022 – Round Three
Argentina – Schedule Change
Logistical issues affecting freight for the FIM MotoGP World Championship have obliged a schedule change for the upcoming Gran Prix of Argentina. Five cargo flights were scheduled to ship paddock material from Lombok, Indonesia, to Tucuman, close to Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, in the week following the Indonesian GP.
Due to two separate issues affecting two different flights, the final freight for the Argentina GP will now arrive in the country on Friday. The flight contains freight for all classes of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, with changes to the time schedule therefore obliged for all classes.
Free Practice sessions will now begin and take place for all classes on Saturday morning (Sunday our time). Of the sessions that normally take place on Friday, only one has been cancelled, with the other moved to Saturday. Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon (Sunday morning our time), with a slightly later start time.
Warm Up sessions on Sunday morning have been extended, with each race set to begin at the same start time as originally scheduled.
The trip from Lombok to Termas consisted of five flights. Three of the planned cargo routes took freight from Lombok to Tucuman via technical stops in Mombasa, Lagos and Brazil. The two other routes saw freight planned to travel from Lombok to Doha, Doha to Accra in Ghana and then on to Tucuman.
The chain of events started last Wednesday when one of the five airplanes suffered a problem during a technical stop in Mombasa, Kenya. The first plane which had already arrived in Tucuman was then returned to Lombok to collect more freight, and unfortunately has also suffered a technical problem during a layover this past Wednesday night.
As of Thursday morning local time in Argentina, one cargo load remains grounded in Mombasa, Kenya. The plane is awaiting a part in order to return to the air, with two parts – one dispatched from Europe and another back up part, dispatched from the Middle East – already en route.
The plane is expected to take off this evening and will follow the route from Mombasa via Lagos and Brazil, arriving in Tucuman on Friday.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta
“As you know we were in Lombok two weeks ago, everything was prepared well because there was a week in the middle. Last Wednesday we sent two different flights from Lombok to Argentina and one of the flights had a problem in Mombasa, in Africa, then we took the decision that the other flight that had already arrived in Argentina should go back to Lombok and bring the last things of the freight here to Argentina. We did that but unfortunately this flight also had a technical problem, in Mombasa again, and it’s not been able to come.
“In principle it was to take off yesterday to arrive later today, but the problem was bigger than we were aware. Apparently the problem is in a valve of one of the four engines. Two flights have gone to bring the valves to Mombasa. Theoretically the valves are arriving in Mombasa right now, or very soon, to be repaired this afternoon. If everything goes well, around 8 o’clock this evening, the flight will set off on time to do the new schedule prepared for Saturday.”
Please find below the new time schedule for the Gran Premio Michelin de la Republica Argentina.
Takaaki Nakagami will miss this weekend’s race due to testing positive for COVID.
Revised MotoGP weekend schedule
Times in AEST/AEDT
Daylight Savings Changes This Weekend
Updated again Saturday Morning
Saturday
| Time | Class | Session |
| 2215 | Moto3 | FP1 |
| 2320 | Moto2 | FP1 |
| 0025 (Sun) | Moto3 | FP2 |
| 0130 (Sun) | Moto2 | FP2 |
| 0235 (Sun) | MotoGP | FP1 |
| 0250 (Sun) | Moto3 | Q1 |
| 0315 (Sun) | Moto3 | Q2 |
| 0345 (Sun) | Moto2 | Q1 |
| 0410 (Sun) | Moto2 | Q2 |
| 0440 (Sun) | MotoGP | FP2 |
| 0605 (Sun) | MotoGP | Q1 |
| 0630 (Sun) | MotoGP | Q2 |
Sunday
| Time | Class | Session |
| 2220 | Moto3 | WUP |
| 2250 | Moto2 | WUP |
| 2320 | MotoGP | WUP |
| 0100 (Mon) | Moto3 | Race |
| 0220 (Mon) | Moto2 | Race |
| 0400 (Mon) | MotoGP | Race |
