Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) took fourth place in the KTM-dominated MotoGP Australian Grand Prix qualifying practice on Friday, while championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) will have to go through the repechage (Q1) having finished 11th.
The Spaniard, who hopes to relaunch on the Phillip Island circuit a week after his fall in Indonesia while leading the race, was rather to his advantage on Friday since he initially dominated the free practice session, before performing well in qualifying practice. Martin was, however, beaten at the end of the session by the two KTMs of the South African Brad Binder and the Australian Jack Miller, very fast in front of his crowd, as well as by the Spaniard Maverick Vinales (Aprilia). But he will not have to go through Q1, unlike the reigning world champion.
Bagnaia, who took advantage of Martin’s fall in Mandalika to win and regain control of the championship with an 18-point lead over the Spaniard, struggled a little and failed to reach the Top 10. He will therefore have to take one of the first two places in Q1 to be able to participate immediately in Q2, which determines the first 12 places on the starting grid. This setback is all the more difficult as the Grand Prix, 27 laps long, was brought forward to Saturday at 3:10 p.m. local time (04:10 GMT) due to a warning of strong winds and rain at Phillip Island, where heavy showers and gusts of up to 65 km/h are forecast for Sunday.
The sprint race, which lasts 13 laps and was to be contested on Saturday, was postponed to Sunday at 2:00 p.m. local time (03:00 GMT), subject to a favorable weather window. The Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati-VR46), third in the championship standings and who managed to finish 5th in Indonesia a week after having surgery for a broken right collarbone, took sixth place on Friday. Bagnaia will notably have to do battle in Q2 with the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, the Spaniards Marc Marquez (Honda) and Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) or the Italian Luca Marini (Ducati-VR46).
1. Brad Binder (AFS/KTM) 1:27.9432. Jack Miller (AUS/KTM) at 0”1483. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) at 0”2694. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) at 0”2795. Pol Espargarao (ESP/GasGas-Tech3) at 0”4206. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46) at 0”4257. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) at 0”5098. Enea Bastiannini (ITA/Ducati) at 0”5109. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) at 0”51310. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Pramac) at 0”51311. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) at 0”699…16. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) at 0”84717. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) at 0”994
SEE ALSO – Neymar Jr’s terrible history with injuries
