MotoGP Argentina: Friday practice cancelled due to freight delays

The opening day of the 2022 Grand Prix of Argentina has been cancelled due freight arriving late to the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

The delays have been caused by two separate issues affecting two of the five cargo flights which were carrying paddock material from Lombok, Indonesia, to Tucuman, close to the Argentinian circuit.

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One plane successfully arrived in Tucuman, and then returned to Lombok to collect more freight, only to suffer a technical problem during a layover on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, another cargo plane remains grounded in Mombasa, Kenya. The plane is awaiting a part to arrive in order to return to the air, one from Europe and a back-up one from the Middle East.

That plane is scheduled to depart this evening and will arrive in Tucuman, via Lagos and Brazil, on Friday. The delay has left several teams and members of the paddock without equipment, with Gresini Racing Ducati reportedly still without their bikes.

As a result, Dorna, IRTA and organisers of the event have taken the decision to cancel Friday’s track action. In the premier class, the riders will have their FP1 and FP2 sessions on Saturday morning, with FP3 replacing the regular FP4 session. FP3 will be a 30-minute session. Sunday’s warm-up session will now last 30 minutes, rather than the traditional 20. Here’s the new premier class schedule:

Saturday

• FP1 – 14:35 – 16:15
• FP2 – 17:25 – 18:10
• FP3 – 18.25 – 18:55
• Q1 – 19:05 – 19:20
• Q2 – 19:30 – 19:45

Sunday

• Warm-Up – 10:30 – 11:00
• Race – 15:00 (25 Laps)