Marquez Seizes Title Lead — Martin Crashes Out of Sprint and Out of Weekend

The final Tissot Sprint at Phillip Island delivered exactly the kind of drama the track is famous for — and then some. In a breathtaking back-and-forth battle for the ages, Marc Marquez claimed his ninth Sprint win of the season and with it the World Championship lead, but the victory came at a heavy cost: title rival Jorge Martin crashed out of second place on Lap 8 and has been ruled out of Sunday’s final race with injury. The day also saw a Ducati one-two-three on the podium, a late charge from Marco Bezzecchi, and a maiden pole position in Moto3 — all under changing skies and unpredictable conditions.

The Sprint — Seven Laps of Pure Fire, Then Heartbreak

The lights went out and Marquez nailed the perfect launch from pole, but it was Martin — starting from the second row — who stormed through to snatch second before the end of the opening lap. The stage was set for a showdown, and it didn’t disappoint.

Laps 1–4 — The Lead Swaps Again and Again

On Lap 2, Alex Marquez got the better of Martin at Turn 10 — only for the #89 to fight straight back with a breathtaking pass at Turn 1. Johann Zarco sat comfortably in fourth, watching the spectacle unfold ahead of him. Martin then set his sights on the race leader, launching an attack at Turn 4 on Lap 3 that Marquez repelled by the narrowest of margins. Undeterred, Martin made it stick at Turn 10 on the next tour — the lead changed hands, and the crowd roared.

Zarco’s solid run came to an end shortly after with a technical issue, dropping him out of the points and handing fourth to Pedro Acosta.

Laps 5–8 — Edge of the Seat, Edge of the Track

Martin’s time at the front was short-lived. At Turn 4 on Lap 5, he ran slightly wide and Marquez dived underneath to reclaim P1. Back came Martin at Turn 1 on Lap 6 — he got alongside but couldn’t hold the line through Turn 2, and Marquez edged ahead once more. The pattern repeated two laps later: Martin fought back, tried a bold block pass at Turn 4, couldn’t make it stick, and carried too much speed through the kerb at Turn 7.

He was unsettled as he hit Turn 8, the front tyre tucked in, and he slid helplessly into the gravel. He tried everything to save it, but there was no coming back. Martin was out — and hurt.

The Rest of the Race — Marquez Clears, Bezzecchi Charges

With the battle behind him, Marquez pulled away to cross the line clear. Alex Marquez held on for second, making it a family one-two, while Fabio Di Giannantonio ghosted through to complete the Ducati podium lockout.

Further back, Marco Bezzecchi produced one of the rides of the day. He’d dropped from ninth on the grid to 12th at the end of Lap 1, then methodically picked his way through the field. With four laps remaining, he passed Acosta at Turn 1 to take fourth — a crucial haul of points that keeps his title hopes mathematically alive.

Ai Ogura crossed the line sixth but was handed an eight-second penalty post-race for low tyre pressure, reshuffling the order: Brad Binder moved up to sixth, Jack Miller to seventh — scoring Sprint points in his final home weekend — Diogo Moreira to eighth, and Iker Lecuona into the final point-paying spot in ninth.

Tissot Sprint — Final Top 9

Championship Shift — Martin Out, Fernandez Also Ruled Out

The repercussions of the Sprint are enormous:

• Marc Marquez now leads the World Championship by 10 points over Jorge Martin
• Jorge Martin has been declared unfit for Sunday’s race and will take no further part this weekend
• Raul Fernandez — winner here in 2025 — has also been withdrawn from the rest of the event, still suffering from the effects of a fractured right index finger sustained in Indonesia

It is a devastating double blow for the Trackhouse and Aprilia camps, and leaves the title picture completely reshaped heading into the final race weekend at Phillip Island.

Moto2 — Gonzalez Strikes Pole on 100th GP Start

The intermediate class delivered a chaotic qualifying session filled with yellow flags, red flags, and late drama. Manuel Gonzalez marked his 100th Grand Prix in style, firing in a lap of 1’30.122 to claim pole position — his first since the Italian Grand Prix — and move to the perfect spot to defend his slender championship lead.

Behind him, Barry Baltus stunned the field by slotting second, just 0.106s back, while Filip Salač took third. Title rival Izan Guevara could only manage sixth after being repeatedly caught out by yellow flags — the gap between him and Gonzalez now stands at just 5.5 points heading into Sunday.

Home hero Senna Agius was fastest early on and looked set for the front row before a heavy crash at Turn 8 on his out lap destroyed his bike and brought out yellows that compromised several fast laps behind him. He will start from seventh.

David Alonso endured a frustrating session, repeatedly hitting traffic and cautions to qualify 14th — a long way back for the Colombian.

Moto3 — Pratama Makes History with Maiden Pole in Rain‑Soaked Thriller

If ever there was a session that summed up the unpredictable magic of Phillip Island, this was it. Veda Pratama produced the lap of his life on his very final run to snatch pole position by 0.021s — becoming the first Indonesian rider in history to start from the front row of a Moto3 grid.

Conditions were changing by the minute: dark clouds, drizzle, and the eternal gamble of whether to stay out or pit for fresh rubber. Maximo Quiles — newly crowned World Champion — looked to have done enough with a blistering late lap, but Pratama crossed the line even faster: 1’35.299 to silence the stopwatches.

Home hope Joel Kelso claimed third to complete a storybook front row for the local fans, his earlier benchmark holding firm despite the worsening conditions behind him. Joel Esteban surged through to fourth, while Eddie O’Shea and Adrian Fernandez completed the top six.

David Almansa was the session’s big loser — he gambled on staying out on used tyres as the rain intensified, crashed at Turn 4, and ended up 11th. Alvaro Carpe also ran wide in the treacherous conditions.

Sunday — The Final Roar

The curtain comes down on 30 years of Phillip Island history on Sunday, with the main Grand Prix race scheduled for 14:00 local time (UTC+10). The weather forecast remains uncertain, the title race has been turned on its head, and one thing is guaranteed: we won’t have to wait long to find out how this unforgettable chapter ends.