Argentina MotoGP Friday practice canceled due to freight delays

Friday practice at the Argentina MotoGP event has been canceled as several teams are still waiting for equipment owing to a broken-down freight plane.

Following delays in freight arriving in Termas de Rio Hondo, the first day of practice for the 2022 MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix has been canceled.

Two flights experienced mechanical issues on the travel from Indonesia, where the last race was held, to Argentina, according to a MotoGP statement.

Reports earlier this week indicated that a mechanical glitch with a plane bringing cargo for some of the MotoGP paddock at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kenya, caused delays in some teams getting equipment from Indonesia to Termas de Rio Hondo.

Despite the hope that the problem had been resolved, one load of goods remains detained in Kenya, where a plane is awaiting a replacement part before it can fly again.

Ducati was said to be the most affected, with the factory team, Gresini Racing, and VR46 all expecting late freight deliveries.

Dorna Sports, on the other hand, has verified that two separate issues have hampered two planes carrying freight for all three classes, one of which will not arrive until Friday.

A second freight jet that had arrived in Tucuman, Argentina, was sent back to Lombok, Indonesia, to collect more freight and encountered a mechanical issue during a layover, according to a statement from Dorna.

One cargo shipment remains grounded in Mombasa, according to Dorna, with components from Europe and the Middle East being dispatched to repair it in the hopes of getting it back in the air this evening.

As a result, MotoGP and the event organizers have decided to postpone the race on Friday. Instead, FP1 and FP2 will be held on Saturday morning and early afternoon for all three classes, with MotoGP FP4 being replaced by FP3  which will last 30 minutes, just like an FP4 session.

After that, at 5:05 p.m., qualifying for the MotoGP class will take place (9:05pm BST) as the schedule for Sunday will be not affected.

New schedule