The first Moto3 free practice session lasted three hours this morning (tonight for us), due to poor track conditions. Stefano Nepa (CIP – Green Power) actually spilled oil on several turns and the red flag was raised until the track marshals managed to clean it up. It took them more than two hours and the session ultimately only lasted thirty minutes.
Between the leaders of the Championship, the tension does not seem to be the same. If Marco Bezzecchi (PruestlGP) managed to come back to just one point behind Jorge Martín (Del Conca Gresini) in Japan, he displays more nervousness, as evidenced by his two falls in FP1, while the Spaniard took the best time. Their pursuers, Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini) finished seventh and tenth respectively. It's also nice to see the latter, the victim of a violent high side in Japan which resulted in him having to stay in hospital for a few days for a head trauma.
Speaking of injured, it should be noted the absence of Niccolò Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who had less luck than his compatriot in Japan. Injured after being struck, he suffered from a foot injury and especially a fractured vertebra. He will normally return to the Valencia Grand Prix. In the meantime, he is replaced by the young Yari Montella who comes from CEV. Likewise, Celestino Vietti Ramus (Sky Racing Team VR46) still replaces Nicolò Bulega, injured in his hand following a domestic accident.
That being said, it is 5:45 a.m. and the second free practice session can begin.
Here is a summary table of the results compared between 2017 and 2018 on the Phillip Island circuit in Moto3:
| Phillip Island Moto3™ | 2017 | 2018 |
| FP1 |
1'38.582 Nicolo Bulega |
1'38.841 Jorge Martin |
| FP2 |
1'37.111 Joan Mir |
1'37.285 Aron Canet |
| FP3 |
1'37.567 Joan Mir |
|
| Qualification |
1'37.030 Jorge Martin |
|
| Warm Up |
1'48.733 Bo Bendsneyder |
|
| Course |
Mir, Loi, Martin |
|
| All time lap record |
1'36.050 Alex Marquez 2014 |
No rest for the wicked! ?
We're straight back to the action here with # Moto3 FP2!#AustralianGP ?? pic.twitter.com/al2ocBRIrY
- MotoGP ™ ??? (@MotoGP) 26th October, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
You may have noticed the thirty-five minute delay in the session, due to all the time lost due to the red flag in FP1. An announcement also arrives at the start of FP2: Stefano Nepa, author of the flag, is suspended during the session for irresponsible conduct.
Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Jorge Martín were the first out of the pit lane, as the sun returned to Phillip Island after this morning's rain. It is 16 degrees in the air and 34 degrees on the track, so the conditions are pleasant for the drivers.
Marco Bezzecchi establishes the reference time in 1'38.419. After ten minutes, Canet passed him in front and the two men preceded gabriel rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider), Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) and Darryn binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Martín is tenth.
Midway through the session, the Spaniard took command in front Canet, Bezzecchi et Rodrigo. Behind we find the teammates Enea Bastianini et Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing), Marcos Ramirez, John Mcphee (CIP – Green Power), Darryn binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing).
Ten minutes before the end of the session, a kangaroo comes onto the track! After the seagulls and the hares, the pilots never stop having surprises. Fortunately, there are no consequences.
Big, big, BIG crash for @ FabioDiggia21 ?
The Italian is launched over the bars and into the back of @ChipNakari, who somehow manages to stay up right! ?#AustralianGP ?? pic.twitter.com/WkXte8N8go
- MotoGP ™ ??? (@MotoGP) 26th October, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In the last minutes By Giannantonio made an impressive fall but fortunately without the same consequences as that of last weekend. He was nevertheless taken to the Medical Center for checks. In front, Canet took the best time and no one can take it back from him.
FP2 ranking:
1 44 Aron CANET SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda 235.3 1'37.285
2 88 Jorge MARTIN SPA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda 234.4 1'37.396 0.111 / 0.111
3 42 Marcos RAMIREZ SPA Bester Capital Dubai KTM 238.4 1'37.398 0.113 / 0.002
4 12 Marco BEZZECCHI ITA Redox PruestelGP KTM 233.0 1'37.458 0.173 / 0.060
5 19 Gabriel RODRIGO ARG RBA BOE Skull Rider KTM 237.3 1'37.475 0.190 / 0.017
6 48 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA ITA Leopard Racing Honda 238.4 1'37.588 0.303 / 0.113
7 17 John MCPHEE GBR CIP – Green Power KTM 232.6 1'37.792 0.507 / 0.204
8 71 Ayumu SASAKI JPN Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda 233.7 1'37.798 0.513 / 0.006
9 14 Tony ARBOLINO ITA Marinelli Snipers Team Honda 237.8 1'37.863 0.578 / 0.065
10 33 Enea BASTIANINI ITA Leopard Racing Honda 234.8 1'37.867 0.582 / 0.004
11 75 Albert ARENAS SPA Angel Nieto Team Moto3 KTM 234.4 1'38.050 0.765 / 0.183
12 40 Darryn BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM 230.1 1'38.121 0.836 / 0.071
13 65 Philipp OETTL GER Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing KTM 233.2 1'38.133 0.848 / 0.012
14 84 Jakub KORNFEIL CZE Redox PruestelGP KTM 231.1 1'38.199 0.914 / 0.066
15 24 Tatsuki SUZUKI JPN SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda 233.4 1'38.219 0.934 / 0.020
16 77 Vicente PEREZ SPA Reale Avintia Academy 77 KTM 234.4 1'38.236 0.951 / 0.017
17 55 Yari MONTELLA ITA SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda 233.0 1'38.284 0.999 / 0.048
18 10 Dennis FOGGIA ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM 235.6 1'38.380 1.095 / 0.096
19 22 Kazuki MASAKI JPN RBA BOE Skull Rider KTM 234.7 1'38.435 1.150 / 0.055
20 5 Jaume MASIA SPA Bester Capital Dubai KTM 231.0 1'38.564 1.279 / 0.129
21 16 Andrea MIGNO ITA Angel Nieto Team Moto3 KTM 236.7 1'38.618 1.333 / 0.054
22 27 Kaito TOBA JPN Honda Team Asia Honda 233.8 1'38.699 1.414 / 0.081
23 21 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO ITA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda 234.0 1'38.785 1.500 / 0.086
24 72 Alonso LOPEZ SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda 232.4 1'38.803 1.518 / 0.018
25 31 Celestino VIETTI ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM 233.1 1'39.122 1.837 / 0.319
26 7 Adam NORRODIN MAL Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda 234.3 1'39.231 1.946 / 0.109
27 41 Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT THA Honda Team Asia Honda 235.1 1'39.296 2.011 / 0.065
81 Stefano NEPA ITA CIP – Green Power KTM
