Marco Bezzecchi set a spectacular pace and led an Aprilia 1-2 in Friday practice for MotoGP’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
Bezzecchi carries a double long lap penalty into Sunday’s race as his punishment for taking Marc Marquez out on the first lap at Mandalika a fortnight ago - a sanction that may feel even more costly given the pace he showed at Phillip Island on Friday, but equally may now feel almost surmountable given how fast he looks this weekend.
There were times in the Friday afternoon session when Bezzecchi was nearly half a second clear of anyone else, his 1m26.580s at the start of the final dash for times comfortably under the all-time lap record and then supplanted by a 1m26.492s in the closing moments.
Riders straight into Q2: Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia); Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia); Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati); Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha); Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati); Alex Rins (Yamaha); Luca Marini (Honda); Pol Espargaro (Tech3 KTM); Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati); Pedro Acosta (KTM)
His nearest challenger was another Aprilia - Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez getting to within 0.291 seconds of Bezzecchi in second.
Fernandez is effectively the only other competitive Aprilia in Australia, with test rider Lorenzo Savadori still on the injured Jorge Martin’s bike and only 19th, and Fernandez’s team-mate Ai Ogura just one place ahead and having gone into the weekend uncertain about whether he was going to be fit as the after-effects of his big Misano crash last month continue. During practice Aprilia announced that Martin would sit out next weekend’s Sepang round too.
Yamaha had almost as promising a day as Aprilia, Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins both showing very competitive pace in fourth and sixth, while Honda only got seventh-placed Luca Marini straight into Q2.
Pecco Bagnaia had another curious day. Just as in opening practice, he did just one lap on his primary bike before parking it in the garage amid frustrated gesticulations, but did show better form on his spare. Even so, he was only ninth at the end of the day, while stand-in team-mate Michele Pirro had a slow speed crash and was 21st.
The Ducati GP25 did at least show pace around Phillip Island in VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio’s hands - he was third. Alex Marquez was second-best Ducati in fifth but his Indonesian GP winning Gresini team-mate Fermin Aldeguer missed out on a direct Q2 spot by 0.005s.
Maverick Vinales’ Tech3 stand-in Pol Espargaro was the fastest KTM, starring on a cameo again as he went eighth quickest, two places ahead of factory rider Pedro Acosta (who had a harmless crash early in the session) and 12 clear of struggling Tech3 regular Enea Bastianini.
Having set the morning pace, home favourite Jack Miller briefly looked like he was on for a Q2 spot for Pramac Yamaha but ultimately ended the day 13th.
Riders in Q1: Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati); Brad Binder (KTM); Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha); Joan Mir (Honda); Johann Zarco (LCR Honda); Miguel Oliveira (Pramac Yamaha); Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati); Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia); Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia); Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM); Michele Pirro (Ducati); Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda)
