Jack Miller has made an early statement at the Australian Grand Prix, pushing up to fourth place after what was described as an “absolutely corking” and “superb” start.
It comes after Jorge Martin smashed the Phillip Island MotoGP track record to romp to pole position for this afternoon’s Australian Grand Prix.
Martin set the all-time record at the classic seaside circuit during practice last year, but he blew his own benchmark out of the water by more than half a second to dominate the fight for pole on Saturday morning.
The Pramac Ducati rider’s final time of 1 minute 27.246 seconds was 0.521 seconds faster than the previous record and 0.416 seconds quicker than anyone else on the circuit.
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“For sure it was a nice lap,” Martin said of his third pole of the season. “I think the pace is really good, so hopefully we can make the difference today in the race.”
But Martin was cautious about his grand prix prospects, acknowledging he and his team weren’t completely clear about strategy just hours out from the brought-forward race.
“It’ll be a long race,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of information for it, so it will be difficult to understand both the rear and the front tyres, but we will try to manage it.”
Brad Binder will start a distant second for KTM, the best qualifying result of his four-season MotoGP career.
“My bike’s working well, especially on the qualifying rubber,” he said. “Hats off to my team. They did an amazing job to get that all ready for us.
“It’s awesome to line up in second place, my best quali in MotoGP.
“I think today’s going to be a bit of a survival race as far as the tyres are concerned. I think it’s going to be a tight one until the end.”
Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia rescued third on the grid for the grand prix after being forced to top Q1 in a difficult build-up to the weekend.
The Italian was confident, however, that he and his team had done their homework to win the race from the front row, having spent most of practice honing race set-up.
“[Preparation] strategy can sometimes make us lose a bit of time,” he said. “But finally we are prepared for everything.
“We did many laps on the race tyre and we were prepared to do the time attack now.
“To start on the front row was the objective today. I’m very happy.”
Aussie Jack Miller qualified eighth and 0.828 seconds off the pace, but the frustrated home favourite felt he had his ultimate time disrupted by Aleix Espargaró.
TV cameras spotted him remonstrating angrily with the veteran Spaniard on their cool-down lap on the way back to pit lane.
Espargaró qualified fourth, pipping Johann Zarco and Fabio di Giannantonio to lead the second row.
There was gamesmanship aplenty in the battle for the valuable slipstream around Phillip Island, with most riders trying to tack onto Bagnaia for their final runs.
Bagnaia, eager not to tow his rivals around the lap, dropped into the long-lap lane on his out-lap, dropping all but the super-persistent Marc Márquez, who eagerly followed him through.
It worked well enough for the three-time Australian Grand Prix winner, who qualified seventh ahead of Miller and Maverick Viñales on the third row.
Marco Bezzecchi, the fading title contender still recovering from last week’s surgery on his broken collarbone, will head the fourth row ahead of Pol Espargaró and Enea Bastianini.
Alex Márquez qualified 13th ahead of Augusto Fernández, though the latter-named Spaniard will drop three places on the grid for impeding Fabio Quartararo during second practice on Friday night.
Raúl Fernández is promoted to 14th on the grid, with Joan Mir and Quartararo following him through to 15th and 16th.
Augusto will start 17th ahead of Luca Marini, Miguel Oliveira, Franco Morbidelli and Takaaki Nakagami.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE BROUGHT FORWARD TO AVOID HIGH WINDS
Sunday’s action at the Australian Grand Prix will start one hour earlier than scheduled in a bid to avoid the worst of the day’s forecast inclement weather.
Moto3 and Moto2 will also get 10-minute warm-up sessions to assess whether conditions are safe to race.
New Sunday schedule
All times in AEDT
Moto3 warm-up: 8:20am (10 minutes)
Moto2 warm-up: 8:40am (10 minutes)
MotoGP warm-up: 9:00am (10 minutes)
Moto3 race: 10:00am (21 laps)
Moto2 race: 11:15am (23 laps)
MotoGP sprint: 1:00pm (13 laps)
MotoGP last night swapped its 27-lap feature race from Sunday to 3:10pm this afternoon to guarantee the grand prix goes ahead before high winds and rain lash Phillip Island on Sunday.
The sprint, originally scheduled to take place on Saturday as normal, has taken the grand prix’s vacated Sunday afternoon slot.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Sunday gale warning for waters off the Victorian central coast area, which includes the southern coast of Phillip Island, where the circuit is located. A gale warning is for winds between 60 and 85 kilometres per hour. A strong wind warning for the entirety of Phillip Island has also been issued.
The risk of rain on Sunday stands at 95 per cent — up to 10mm is on the radar — with a maximum temperature of 16°C.
KELSO SNATCHES SECOND ON MOTO3 GRID AS TITLE TAKES A TWIST
Australian Joel Kelso has qualified a superb second place for his home Australian Grand Prix just 0.136 seconds behind title contender Ayumu Sasaki.
Kelso’s time was made all the more impressive for having been set without a slipstream on his unfancied Prüstel GP CFMoto machine.
It was the Darwin native’s best qualifying performance since the Assen TT in June.
“We did the lap alone and we’re feeling good,” he enthused. “It’s awesome to be here in front of the home crowd to see my flag out there. It’s awesome to see everyone out here supporting me.
But there was no stopping Sasaki, who powered to top spot with a 0.136-second margin.
The Japanese rider now has a golden chance to close the 16-point gap to championship leader Jaume Masià, who made a major tactical blunder in his final qualifying runs that dumped him out in 13th.
Masià was being tailed for the ever-valuable slipstream when he decided to enter pit lane to try to shake his pursuers, but the Spaniard miscalculated how much time he had left, and the chequered flag had already fallen by the time he was ready to start his flying lap.
If Sasaki and Masià were to finish where they started, the title would flip in favour of the former.
“It was a good qualifying together with the team,” he said. “I think we did the maximum job.
“I’m happy to be back here, and hopefully we can race tomorrow.”
Daniel Holgado, just one point behind Sasaki in the title standings, qualified 11th.
Stefano Nepa will complete the front row in the Italian’s best career qualifying performance.
“It’s a great feeling to be in parc fermé for the first time,” he said. “But I want to come again tomorrow!
“I’m very happy. We did a great job yesterday, great pace. Let’s enjoy tomorrow and full gas.”
ALDEGUER UNSTOPPABLE IN RECORD-BREAKING MOTO2 POLE BATTLE
Fermín Aldeguer’s Moto2 domination at Phillip Island has continued with a record-breaking pole position.
Aldeguer broke the track record for the intermediate class during qualifying for last year’s Australian Grand Prix and lowered the benchmark again on Saturday morning during final practice.
But the 18-year-old Spaniard smashed his personal best yet again in the pole shootout, his new record of 1 minute 31.888 seconds taking him to pole position by 0.342 seconds.
“I’m very, very happy” Aldeguer enthused. “This morning we knew that the ideal time was a 31.9 [seconds], but when I passed the chequered flag and saw 31.8 I said, ‘Oh, f***!’.
“I’m very happy with the feeling and with the pace. Tomorrow’s race for sure I’ll enjoy.”
Aron Canet finished second, while 2022 Australian Grand Prix winner Alonso Lopez completed the top three another 0.342 seconds further back.
Title leader Pedro Acosta was a tidy fifth but an unusually large 0.745 seconds off the pace. The Spaniard can’t seal his second Moto2 championship this weekend but will likely extend his 65-point advantage over Tony Arbolino, who qualified eighth.
He must outscore Arbolino by only 10 points across by the end of next weekend’s Thailand Grand Prix to seal the deal.
2022 WINNER RINS WITHDRAWS WITH LEG PAIN
Álex Rins, winner of last year’s Australian Grand Prix, has withdrawn from this year’s race with pain in his right leg.
Rins broke both his tibia and his fibula in his right leg in two locations in a high-energy crash during the sprint race at the Italian Grand Prix in June, sidelining him for months.
He made his first tentative return at the Japanese Grand Prix at the start of the month but withdrew with pain after practice, though he completed the full Indonesian Grand Prix schedule last week, finishing an impressive ninth.
But the Spaniard woke up on Saturday morning with bad pain in his recovering leg and has decided to withdraw after consultation with MotoGP doctors.
“So disappointed,” he told the MotoGP broadcast. “In the end the pain doesn’t improve, so this morning Dr [Angel] Charte made some exploration. He touched a little bit the leg.
“We decided to do a CT scan in Melbourne today to see if everything is under control and to evaluate from which part, from which bone, is coming this pain.
“We don’t know exactly from where it comes, the pain. For this reason we are going to make the CT scan and to check if it’s coming from the tibia or if it’s coming from the fibula. We need to check.”
Rins said the pain was unlikely to be connected to his tumble during practice on Friday, having low-sided on his left side.
“After the crash I’m completely fine,” he said. “I extend my leg and I put in the air just to not touch the gravel with the leg.”
WHAT’S THE WEATHER DOING?
While Saturday’s forecast makes for happier reading than Sunday’s predicted weather, it could still be challenging for riders, particularly in the premier class by the time the grand prix rolls around after 3pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a strong wind warning for the Victorian central coast area, which crashes onto the southern coast of Phillip Island, where the grand prix circuit is located overlooking Bass Strait.
Wind speed off the coast will reach between 35 and 40 kilometres per hour in the morning and peak at around 55 kilometres per hour by the end of the day. Gust speeds off the coast can be 40 per cent more powerful than the average wind speed, which is what is most strongly concerning riders.
There’s a 70 per cent chance of rain throughout Saturday and the chance of a thunderstorm later today. The forecast top is 20°C.
For Sunday the Bureau has issued a gale warning for the central coast — which is for winds between 60 and 85 kilometres per hour — and a strong wind warning for the entirety of Phillip Island. There’s a 95 per cent chance of rain — up to 10mm is on the radar — with a maximum temperature of 16°C.
Saturday’s schedule
All times in AEDT
Moto3 practice 3: 8:40am (30 minutes)
Moto2 practice 3: 9:25am (30 minutes)
MotoGP free practice 2: 10:10am (30 minutes)
MotoGP qualifying: 10:50am (two 15-minute sessions)
Moto3 qualifying: 12:50pm (two 15-minute sessions)
Moto2 qualifying: 1:45pm (two 15-minute sessions)
Australian Grand Prix: 3:10pm (27 laps)
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Marquez crashes in opening session | 02:10
BAGNAIA EXPANDS ON ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ PROBLEMS
Francesco Bagnaia will be the focus of the day, with the title leader set to battle his way out of Q1 for a chance to start in the front half of the grid and preserve his title lead.
The factory Ducati rider has an 18-point advantage of Jorge Martin with five weekends remaining.
It hasn’t been unusual for Bagnaia to start weekends with a slow Friday — albeit not so slow that he has to qualify via Q1 — which he put down to focusing more on race pace that single-lap speed, as was the case at Phillip Island.
“Looking to the pace we had this morning, looking to the pace I had this afternoon, we‘re one of the most competitive in terms of lap times, in terms of consistency with the tyres,” he said on Friday night.
“We used the medium; more or less all the others used the soft. So for me our work was better than the others. We have just to improve on starting already with a better feeling.”
But the Italian said he was mystified by the Ducati’s tendency to roll out of the box undercooked after a much strong start to the campaign.
“It‘s strange that we’ve moved from a circuit to another circuit with the same setting — more or less — and for me it’s not working,” he said.
“It‘s not the first time. Mandalika wasn’t the first time. It’s more or less all the season that we arrive Friday, we struggle a lot, Saturday is better and Sunday then we are the fastest.
“In that case we have a day less for being the fastest, but it‘s true also that in this track it’s more difficult to have a clear advantage.”
Bagnaia identified one particular area of work for the final 30-minute free practice session of the weekend this morning before diving into qualifying.
“I‘m struggling a lot on the acceleration in the entrance of fast corners,” he explained. “My bike is too aggressive, very nervous.
“For example, from the last corner to the finish line I am losing two-tenths to [Jorge] Martin, and this is unbelievable.
“I am missing traction. This was more or less the issue, but like Mandalika, the feeling with the bike is not that bad, so this is strange.”
A look back at the 2022 Australian GP | 02:46
REFUNDS OFFERED TO PUNTERS AFTER SCHEDULE CHANGE
Race organisers have confirmed some ticketholders will be eligible for refunds owing to the weekend’s changed schedule and the forecast for dangerous weather on Sunday.
All Sunday-only ticketholders are eligible to access general admission areas on Saturday to watch the race.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has advised that all Sunday-only ticketholders who cannot attend the circuit on Saturday and no longer wish to attend on Sunday will be entitled to get their money back.
Sunday-only grandstand and clubhouse ticketholders who attend Saturday but no longer wish to attend on Sunday are eligible for a refund of the difference in price between a Saturday general admission ticket and their original ticket price.
Check the Australian Grand Prix Corporation website for further details.
MARTIN POWERS TO TOP SPOT IN FINAL PRACTICE
Jorge Martin has charged to top spot in final MotoGP practice as a crucial qualifying hour looms at the Australian Grand Prix.
Martin, who will start Q2 later today as the favourite for pole, set the pace at 1 minutes 29.299 seconds in a session focused largely on race pace ahead of this afternoon’s rescheduled 27-lap grand prix.
The Pramac rider pipped Honda’s Marc Márquez to top spot by 0.113 seconds, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaró third and 0.3 seconds off the pace.
All eyes will be on Francesco Bagnaia this morning, with the reigning champion and title leader due to fight his way out of Q1 after an underwhelming Friday.
The Italian was 0.386 seconds off the pace after 15 laps, ending his time on track with some exploratory laps on the soft tyre in preparation for what will be a difficult dice to escape the bottom 10 on the grid.
Johann Zarco completed the top five ahead of Fabio Quartararo, Raúl Fernández, Alex Márquez and Pol Espargaró.
KTM teammates Brad Binder and Jack Miller, who impressed with a one-two finish in timed practice on Friday night, were 11th and 18th.
Miller impresses, Bagnaia misses top 10 | 02:11
ALDEGUER SWEEPS MOTO2 PRACTICE
Fermín Aldeguer has completed a practice clean sweep in Moto2, powering comfortably to top spot in the final practice session for the intermediate class.
The Spaniard’s best time of 1 minutes 32.128 seconds was a new lap record for Moto2 and eclipsed American Joe Roberts’s best by 0.450 seconds, with Aron Canet completing the top three despite failing to improve on his best Friday time.
Somkiat Chantra and Alonso López were the session’s only crashes, with the Thai rider down at Miller Corner in the opening minutes and the Spaniard tumbling at the same turn late.
Championship leader Pedro Acosta almost joined them after taking a trip through the gravel at Stoner Corner, but the KTM Ajo rider was able to continue and rejoin the session.
All three made direct Q2 qualification.
KELSO THROUGH TO POLE SHOOTOUT
Aussie Joel Kelso has confirmed his direct qualification to the pole shootout in a competitive final practice showing in Moto3.
The final practice session of the lightweight class saw times drop significantly, with a gripped-up track and cooler conditions aiding grip and with the forecast rain now predicted to arrive tonight.
The 30-minute session was topped by title contender Ayumu Sasaki, who was in fine form lowering the weekend benchmark to 1 minutes 36.403 seconds to pip Deniz Öncü by 0.134 seconds.
Kelso slotted into third, finding a massive 0.857 seconds from his Prüstel GP CFMoto.
Only Adrián Fernández found more time inside the top five, improving by 1.333 Friday to Saturday.
The session was marred by a nasty but fortunately harmless late crash between Diogo Moreira and Vicente Pérez.
Moreira was cruising down Pérez’s inside at Miller Corner when the pair made side-by-side contact. The Brazilian lost control of his bike and came off before headbutting the Mexican’s bike.
Moreira was unscathed, while Pérez was able to continue with his lap.
Scott Ogden’s horror weekend continued with yet another technical problem forcing him to dismount from his bike just minutes in the session, having suffered three stoppages during Friday. The Briton was spotted by TV cameras dejectedly sitting by the side of the track contemplating his poor luck, having been unable to complete a single competitive time all weekend.