Marco Bezzecchi lit up Phillip Island on Friday, storming to the top of the timesheets with a blistering new lap record as Aprilia locked out the top two spots in Practice. The Italian’s incredible 1:26.492 wasn’t just fast — it was emphatic, setting the tone for what promises to be an explosive Australian Grand Prix weekend.
Behind him, Raul Fernandez delivered a superb late surge to make it an Aprilia 1–2, while Fabio Di Giannantonioensured Ducati stayed in the mix, rounding out the top three. In contrast, Fermin Aldeguer, last week’s race winner in Indonesia, narrowly missed the automatic Q2 cut and faces a tough Q1 battle on Saturday morning.
Early Troubles for Pecco as Practice Begins
It was a shaky start for Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team. Much like in FP1, the reigning World Champion was back in the pit box early, clearly unhappy with his first bike. A quick switch to his second Desmosedici made all the difference — within minutes, Bagnaia had hauled himself into the top five, hinting that he’d finally found his rhythm.
Bez Strikes Early – and Acosta Hits the Deck
Bezzecchi wasted no time making his intentions clear, setting the pace ahead of Pedro Acosta in the opening laps of a cold, gusty Practice session. The rookie sensation was flying until a small crash at Turn 4 halted his progress. Luckily, it was a minor spill, and Acosta was back out 10 minutes later — though the momentum had shifted.
By then, Di Giannantonio had briefly taken over at the top, posting a tidy 1:27.483 with just over half an hour to go. But the best was yet to come.
Miller Fires Up the Fans Before Bezzecchi Rewrites the Record Books
As the clock ticked into the final 15 minutes, Jack Miller sent the home crowd wild. The Aussie pushed his Prima Pramac Yamaha into second place, then one lap later, went fastest of all — just 0.023s ahead of Di Giannantonio.
His reign at the top didn’t last long. Bezzecchi hit back hard, first with a 1:27.099, then dropping a hammer-blow 1:26.580, shattering the previous lap record by over six-tenths. “Have that!” might as well have been his message to the field.
Fabio Quartararo soon followed, taking his Monster Energy Yamaha into P2 as teammate Alex Rins joined the top five. Aprilia’s Fernandez wasn’t done either — his late push slotted him into P4, ahead of a suddenly under-pressure Bagnaia, who’d slipped outside the top 10.
Bagnaia’s Late Charge – and Bezzecchi Goes Even Faster
With two minutes remaining, Bagnaia was still on the bubble. He pieced together a tidy lap to jump into P7 — only to drop to P8 seconds later as stand-in Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and others improved.
Then, just when it seemed the day was done, Bezzecchi found even more. His final lap — a breathtaking 1:26.492 — extended his gap to over four-tenths, with Fernandez sealing a stunning Aprilia 1–2 to cap the team’s best Friday of the season.
Aldeguer’s last-ditch effort to grab P10 fell heartbreakingly short by just 0.005s. The rookie revelation will now need to fight through Q1 to keep his weekend on track.
Phillip Island Practice – Friday Top 10
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 1:26.492 |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | Trackhouse MotoGP Team | +0.308 |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati | +0.437 |
| 4 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha | +0.479 |
| 5 | Alex Marquez | BK8 Gresini Ducati | +0.512 |
| 6 | Alex Rins | Monster Energy Yamaha | +0.545 |
| 7 | Luca Marini | Honda HRC Castrol | +0.617 |
| 8 | Pol Espargaro | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | +0.648 |
| 9 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo | +0.670 |
| 10 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory | +0.705 |
Aprilia couldn’t have scripted a better Friday. Bezzecchi looks unstoppable, Fernandez is riding high, and Ducati and Yamaha have serious chasing to do on Saturday.
Saturday Showdown Looms
Saturday’s Q1 promises fireworks, with Aldeguer joined by Brad Binder, Miller, Joan Mir, and 2023 Phillip Island winner Johann Zarco — all scrapping for just two precious Q2 spots before the pole shootout begins.
If Bezzecchi maintains this form, he’s not just the man to beat — he might be the man rewriting Phillip Island history.
Moto2™ – Moreira Takes Momentum
In Moto2, Brazil’s Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) claimed Friday honours with a confident display at Phillip Island, strengthening his title bid with just nine points separating him from championship leader Manuel Gonzalez.
It wasn’t a perfect day for Gonzalez, who crashed twice — once in FP1 and again at Turn 4 during Practice — but still managed P5. Meanwhile, teammate Senna Agius impressed with P2 after briefly topping the session, while David Alonso (CFMOTO Aspar) completed the top three.
Jake Dixon, fastest in FP1, settled for fourth, ahead of Mario Aji in P6 on his comeback ride from injury. The rest of the top ten featured Aron Canet, Tony Arbolino, Darryn Binder, and rookie Collin Veijer, while Daniel Holgado’s late crash left him mired in P21.
Moto3™ – Almansa Shatters the Record
Over in Moto3, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) produced a sensational lap — 1:34.726 — to smash the previous record and lead a team 1–2 alongside Adrian Fernandez.
Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top three, while Angel Piqueras (FRINSA MT Helmets MSI) surged late to P4. Local star Joel Kelso delighted the Aussie fans with P5, just ahead of compatriot Jacob Roulstone in P11 after a late technical hiccup.
Guido Pini, Jose Antonio Rueda, and Maximo Quiles rounded out the top eight — with Quiles still fighting to lock up the Rookie of the Year title against Carpe this weekend. Expect that duel to be one of the weekend’s hidden gems.
Summary
Friday at Phillip Island had it all — records smashed, home heroes flying, and emotions running high. With Aprilia on top and Bezzecchi in record-breaking form, the scene is set for a fierce Saturday as the MotoGP paddock braces for another unpredictable Australian showdown.
Official MotoGP
