We have Aussies scattered across the world, making us proud in their two wheeled disciplines. Ed has us covered with his monthly Aussies Racing Abroad International race news for Aussies...
Aussies Racing Abroad February 2025 | With many Aussies showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines on-track, our latest column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their classes, covering pre season MotoGP & more…
On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
In February, MotoGP conducted five days of testing in Malaysia and Thailand, allowing all five manufacturers to fine-tune their new bikes ahead of the start of the season this month. And Jack Miller made some decent steps in preparation for the 2025 campaign.
“I feel as prepared as possible, obviously. The bike works quite well, I’m happy with where we are”.
Relishing getting in some valuable time on the bike with his Prima Pramac Yamaha team, there were many positives to be extracted for the #43. “I feel as prepared as possible, obviously. The bike works quite well, I’m happy with where we are,” stated the popular Aussie.
“I managed to put on two tyres, something we hadn’t done in the whole test session. Yes, that was good. It’s always stressful, but fun at the same time, the bike seems to behave well. It’s understanding what you have to do in terms of preparing the bike for the lap time.
“In the Sprint simulation I was quite happy with my pace, it wasn’t too bad. We had a problem starting with one of the maps, let’s say the race map. So we had a qualifying map by default; and it became quite difficult to hold on in the last laps.” Typically honest and full of insight, it’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up at the season opening round of MotoGP.
Senna Agius – Moto2
Pre-season testing for 2025 got underway for Senna Agius and the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact squad in Portugal, and the gifted Aussie impressed on his way to claiming fourth on day one before clinching 13th on day two in a rain interrupted hit-out. “It was good to be back on the bike. Overall, it was a good shakedown test and I felt comfortable with everyone and everything. So we will start again in Jerez and do our best to be as prepared as possible for the first race,” Agius reflected.
“It was good to be back on the bike. Overall, it was a good shakedown test”…
Although ninth was all he could put together at the Jerez test, this was still a solid final event for the #81. Having banked his first Moto2 podium on home soil at Phillip Island last season, this crusade promises to be another one littered with highs for the tremendously talented 19-year-old.
Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Aussie rising star Jacob Roulstone suffered a fractured and displaced C3 vertebrae in his neck just weeks before the Moto3 season following a heavy training crash. Expected to miss the first rounds of the Moto3 term, this came as a huge blow to the young star on the rise, for Roulstone had been making fine strides in pre-season. Having quickly undergone surgery, he’s now fully focused on his recovery in his quest to get back to racing as soon as possible.
“Yesterday I had a very positive check-up back at the hospital with my surgeon Dr Mireia. Things are all moving in the right direction and I am now able to remove the rigid neck brace and replace it with a softer one. Also able to start to do some small amounts of safe exercise,” he posted.
“Due to the way the surgery was carried out, no muscles, tendons or neurological areas were affected”…
“Due to the way the surgery was carried out, no muscles, tendons or neurological areas were affected, meaning my recovery will be better than first expected. Another check-up in 10 days and then off to Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre for more follow-up and monitoring to be best prepared for when it’s safe to be back on the bike. Thanks again to everyone for the support.”
Joel Kelso – Moto3
Moving to the Level Up-MTA team for 2025, watch for Joel Kelso to be right up there, as he aims to reign supreme in Moto3 in 2025.
“It was an easy decision for me to join the Level Up-MTA team”.
“It was an easy decision for me to join the Level Up-MTA team. The team consistently demonstrates professional and sporting excellence. I thank manager Alessandro Tonucci for the mutually desired agreement we’ve reached. The 2025 season promises to be exciting as we aim for the Moto3 class crown with a team ready to meet such ambitious goals,” Kelso said on his delight at joining the Level Up squad. Beginning his 2025 with a solid body of work to register sixth in the test at Portimao, this was a nice outcome in an event that was hampered by wet weather.”
“It was an interesting first day. We had to make some adjustments to optimise the work on track, but overall I’m happy with the bike, the team and the final time. I can’t wait to get back on the bike,” he expressed. Next up for Kelso was the Jerez test, where he excelled to record the second fastest time, which sets him up beautifully for the start of the new term in Thailand.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Remy Gardner successfully completed a productive two-day Test in Portimao to kick-off his year. Even though the mixed conditions made things tough, much upside could be gained from how he and the team were able to try out many different components, with the Aussie notably logging 52 laps on the opening day. Meanwhile, the rain on the second day gave Gardner and his teammate Aegerter the opportunity to gather important data on slick and wet tyre setups.
Pic: Brett Butler.
Eager to put his best foot forward at the opener on the familiar confines of Phillip Island, it sadly wasn’t the weekend Gardner was hoping for. Getting the ball rolling by securing a credible ninth in the Superpole qualifier, crashes, misfortune and adversity then struck in the races, meaning he endured a weekend to forget.
Pic: Brett Butler
“Not the weekend we wanted. In the sprint race, we managed to stay close to the top nine, but it was a tough fight in a very tight pack. And unfortunately, we just missed out by a small margin. That meant I had to start 13th in the final race, where I pushed as much as possible early on. Unfortunately, a tyre issue held me back in the first half, making it a challenging race.
“We’ll reset and come back stronger in Portimao.”
After the flag-to-flag, our pace wasn’t too bad, but catching the riders ahead to score more points was difficult. Sadly, I crashed in the latter stages, which wasn’t the way we wanted to end the weekend. Now, we’ll reset and come back stronger in Portimao,” he lamented.
Check out our Phillip Island WorldSBK Round One reports and galleries here…
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
PTR Triumph Factory Racing finalised their squad for next season with the addition of Oli Bayliss, who teamed up with British rider Tom Booth-Amos in the 2025 World Supersport Championship. The switch to PTR Triumph sees Bayliss embark on a fresh adventure, as he changes manufacturer for the first time. And he made a fine start to life in his new environment by notching a pair of sevenths on home turf at Phillip Island.
“Not a bad first weekend with PTR Triumph Factory Racing”…
Pic: Brett Butler
“Not a bad first weekend with PTR Triumph Factory Racing. Two seventh place finishes. Wish I could’ve done a bit better in race two, but after a mistake in the first stint and not the best pit stop we were sitting around 15th position. Not a bad comeback back to seventh. The feeling and data we get on the bike improves each session so we need to keep working for Portimao. Big thanks to my team and my sponsors.”
Pic: Brett Butler
While his progress has been severely impacted by injuries over the last few years, it’s important to note Bayliss has evidenced his speed and skill on many occasions when fit and firing, as he’ll be determined to stay healthy and enjoy a fruitful term aboard his Triumph following his promising start to 2025.
Luke Power – World Supersport
Motozoo Me Air Racing’s Luke Power wrapped up a vital four days of testing to get his new MV Agusta machine up to speed ahead of the 2025 World Supersport season. Gaining valuable data and insights, Power is hoping this will hold him in good stead for a quality year, which will be his third with this outfit in the ultra-competitive class.
Pic: Brett Butler
“I’m thrilled to be back on the track with the team as we gear up for this new season. I’m really pleased with the hard work we’ve put in; we tested a lot of different aspects and made excellent progress during the sessions, achieving some great lap times. I’m especially happy to have prepared for the Phillip Island race in the best way possible, ensuring I feel good on the bike for the first race. A big thank you to the team for their outstanding effort over these past few days,” reflected Power.
“Overall, it was a positive weekend and a positive start to this year’s world championship”…
Venturing to Phillip Island for the first round of WorldSSP, much optimism could be found from his 12th and 11th in the two races in the stacked category, in a weekend where he made terrific headway despite injuring his shoulder on the Friday.
Pic: Brett Butler
“Overall, it was a positive weekend and a positive start to this year’s world championship. A big crash that left me injured wasn’t the ideal way to start, but we did a good job given the circumstances when it came to Superpole and the races. I managed to claw my way back to P12 on Saturday and P11 on Sunday, which are my two best results in the dry to date in the world championship,” Power shared.
“I want to thank the team for all their hard work, not just in repairing the bike after the crash, but for doing such a great job in the pit stops. We recorded the third best time, which shows how well we are all working together. I want to thank all the medical staff that got me in a condition that meant I could race. The fans trackside were amazing and it was so nice to see my merchandise in the paddock being worn by fans. I will now spend the weeks before Portimao in March making sure I am fully fit for the first European race of the season. Thanks again to everyone supporting me – it means a lot.”
Currently just outside the top 10 in the championship hunt, watching how he fares at round two will be intriguing in his pursuit to power into the top 10 on a consistent basis.
Off-Track
Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Reigning 450 AMA Supercross champion Jett Lawrence will miss the rest of the 2025 supercross crusade after tearing his ACL and meniscus in Glendale at round four. Dabbing his right foot in a corner, this was all it took for Jett to sustain this ailment that appears set to keep him out for roughly four months.
“I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be able to return, but rehabbing will be my new full-time job”…
“I found out today that I tore my ACL and am having surgery tomorrow to repair it. I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be able to return, but rehabbing will be my new full-time job, so I hope to see you guys as soon as possible! I’m super-bummed to let the fans down and I can’t wait to get back out there,” the phenom told the HRC website.
With his title defence now over, all eyes will be on seeing if he can return in time for the AMA Pro Motocross opener on May 25.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Hunter Lawrence’s Supercross campaign also came to a disappointing end, for it was confirmed the older Lawrence brother suffered a raised and partially torn labrum in his right shoulder, along with multiple cracks in his humerus bone, which will sideline him for around three months. Doing the damage in a brutal spill in Tampa, the early signs were good that he might be okay to continue, but scans revealed the bad news.
Thank you to all my amazing partners, who continually are the reason all this is possible”…
“I’m going to get this fixed and come back 100% to go and battle for the outdoor and SMX title again. Thank you to all my amazing partners, who continually are the reason all this is possible. We will get this 2025 turned around soon enough,” Hunter commented.
Also gunning to make it back for the Pro Motocross series, it’ll be a case of channeling all his energy into his rehabilitation to make a full recovery for round one at Fox Raceway in May.
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