Friday Round Up Australian Grand Prix

Marc Marquez leads, Martin and Bagnaia overcome early drama as Bastianini faces Q1 at the Island.

Marquez Brothers Dominate Practice as Bezzecchi Takes Third; Bastianini Faces Q1 Battle at Phillip Island

After a rain-soaked FP1, the MotoGP™ riders were finally treated to dry conditions for the second practice session at the legendary Phillip Island circuit. With the sun making a much-needed appearance, Marc Marquez led the charge, securing the fastest lap of the day ahead of his brother, Alex Marquez, in a Gresini Racing MotoGP™ 1-2. Marco Bezzecchi of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rounded out the top three, making it a Ducati GP23 1-2-3 on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, title contenders Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the day in P4 and P5 respectively, earning automatic spots in Q2. However, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) found himself in P16, meaning he will have to fight his way through Q1.

Intensity Builds in FP2 with More Rain Looming

With the threat of rain still looming, the riders wasted no time in the 60-minute session. Full attack mode was engaged from the outset, and the World Championship leader, Jorge Martin, found himself in early drama. The #89 had a close call when he nearly collided with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) at Turn 4, causing him to lose the front. Although the crash was minor, it raised questions about whether it would affect his weekend performance.

Fifteen minutes into the session, neither Pecco Bagnaia nor Martin had set a competitive lap time. Marc Marquez topped the timesheets with a 1:29.020, just before the session was briefly red-flagged when a flock of geese wandered onto the circuit.

Title Contenders Climb the Leaderboard

Once the session resumed, the top three Championship contenders – Martin, Bagnaia, and Bastianini – were still outside the top 10. Martin moved up to P9 on his first attempt, while Bagnaia struggled in P16. As the session progressed, Martin climbed to P2, just 0.2s behind Marc Marquez, while Bagnaia only managed P13. Bastianini, on the other hand, jumped to P3 with 36 minutes remaining, while Bagnaia barely cracked the top 10.

However, the positions kept changing as the dry conditions allowed riders to improve their lap times. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the local favorite, shot to P1 with a 1:28.731, leading by nearly three-tenths.

Marquez Reclaims the Top Spot

Ten minutes later, Marc Marquez returned to the top of the timesheets with a blistering 1:28.454. Bagnaia began to find his rhythm, moving up to P6 and later to P4, though he remained 0.243s off Marquez’s time. With the final 20 minutes proving crucial, the battle for Q2 spots intensified.

Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) had a strong session, taking P2 with 13 minutes to go before Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) posted the fastest lap of the day. Miller briefly regained P3, while Bagnaia found himself slipping down the order. With 10 minutes left, he was in P11, eventually improving to P8, though his 1:28.712 lap time was not enough to secure a top-10 spot.

Acosta and Miller Crash Out in the Final Minutes

As the session neared its conclusion, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) set a personal best, pushing Bagnaia out of the top 10. Simultaneously, Martin climbed to P3. Then, Marc Marquez delivered a stunning lap time of 1:27.770, going 0.3s clear of Viñales. Martin quickly reduced the gap to 0.197s, but it wasn’t enough to displace Marquez from the top.

Bagnaia, needing a fast lap in the final minutes, posted a 1:28.013 to secure P4, 0.243s behind Marquez. Late crashes for Acosta and Miller at Turns 4 and 6 respectively brought out yellow flags, costing both riders a chance at the top 10. As a result, both missed out on automatic Q2 spots, with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) and Alex Marquez sneaking into the final Q2 positions.

Top 10 Secure Q2 Spots

At the end of the session, Viñales secured P6 behind the top five Ducatis, while Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Morbidelli, and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) completed the top 10. These riders will sleep a little easier, having secured direct entry to Q2.

As Friday wrapped up, attention now turns to Saturday at Phillip Island. With rain potentially making a return, the stage is set for a dramatic qualifying session and the Tissot Sprint. What surprises will the weather hold for us? We’ll find out soon enough as a crucial Super Saturday awaits in Australia.

Saturday Schedule:

• FP2: 10:00 (UTC +11)
• Q1: 10:50
• Q2: 11:15
• Tissot Sprint: 15:00

Aldeguer fastest as the Island dries for Moto2™

Aldeguer Leads Drying Phillip Island Moto2™ Practice Session as Top Contenders Close In

After a wet morning session, Phillip Island’s newly resurfaced track began to dry out during Moto2™ practice, and it was Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) who capitalized. The Spaniard posted the fastest lap of 1:32.718, leading the pack by a couple of tenths over Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) and by three-tenths over his teammate Alonso Lopez. Heading into Saturday, Aldeguer stands as the rider to beat.

• Recent Japanese GP winner Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) rounded out the top five, with all five riders separated by less than six seconds.
• Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI), currently second in the Championship standings, overcame a morning crash to finish Friday in P7. He was just behind sixth-place Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).
• Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI), competing in his first match point weekend, ended Day 1 in P13, 1.4 seconds off Aldeguer’s pace.

With dry conditions expected, will Saturday morning’s session see riders pushing for faster lap times before qualifying at 13:45? Tune in at 09:15 to find out.

Piqueras dominates in the damp to lead Alonso on Day 1

Piqueras Dominates on Day 1 at Phillip Island in Moto3™

Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) made a stunning debut at Phillip Island, topping the Moto3™ timesheets on his first day by a significant margin. The rookie set a 1:44.949 in damp yet sunny conditions, finishing 1.042 seconds ahead of David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team). Adrian Fernandez ensured a strong showing for Leopard Racing by securing third place, making it two of their Hondas in the top three.

• The Kopron Rivacold Snipers team saw both David Almansa and Matteo Bertelle finish in the top five, contributing to a strong day for Honda, which had four bikes in the top five.
• Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), the only rider from the Championship’s top four to crack the top 14, ended the day in P7. Meanwhile, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) struggled, finishing in P17 and last place, respectively. Both Spaniards will need to make major improvements on Saturday to secure automatic Q2 positions.
• Australia’s Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) claimed a respectable P10 on home soil, while compatriot Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) finished further back in P22 on his first day in front of local fans.

With weather conditions unpredictable, all eyes will be on the skies for Saturday’s P2 at 08:30 (UTC+11), followed by qualifying at 12:50. Will the standings shift? Tune in to find out!

Official MotoGP Press Release