Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island, Moto3 Qualifying: tenth pole for Martin, Bezzecchi distant fifteenth.

It is a Moto3 championship where the counters have almost been reset to zero which presents itself on the Phillip Ismand track for the Australian Grand Prix. One point separates the leader George Martin an Marco Bezzecchi returned to contact after the last Japanese Grand Prix. since the start of the Australian meeting, however, the latter has suffered three crashes, including one this morning during the last free practice session. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin subscribed to the outposts. The advantage therefore seems to be with the Gresini rider who also shows a Honda more comfortable than the KTM. Around this duo, the adversaries who will be far from being stooges. So, what verdict will these qualifications render?

Before answering this question, 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	1'46.898 Fabio Di Giannantonio
Qualification	1'37.030 Jorge Martin	1'36.591 Jorge Martin
Warm Up	1'48.733 Bo Bendsneyder
Course	Mir, Loi, Martin
All time lap record	1'36.050 Alex Marquez 2014

Wind, a track at 27° and a warm audience at 17° constitute the setting for the stage. Masaki is withdrawn following his fall during FP3. His left hand is broken. In 1'39.818 Suzuki signs the first reference, before George Martin already in the rhythm. Cornfeel responds in 1'39.180 before Darryn binder passes the 1'39 mark with a 1'38.851. It will be replaced by Oncu in 2019.

Halfway through, the hierarchy evolves with Cornfeel, Bezzecchi et Binder who are blocking the Honda with their three KTMs George Martin. Oettl et Ramirez then taking the first two places, there are actually five Austrian machines that we find in the top 5 while the last quarter of an hour looms on the horizon... And if the track is dry, it is better to avoid going visit its surroundings…

In 1'38.261, George Martin puts his Honda at the top of the timesheet. The first three are in a tenth and Bezzecchi slipped to eighth. Ten minutes from the goal, McPhee took a good breath and signed a 1'38.201 which put him in control of the exercise. but Martin gave it a try and achieved a 1'38.006. Without help !

Bezzecchi is fourteenth and must therefore react. Especially since Martin thunders a 1'37.598 which gives him three tenths ahead of a Arenas who is the only one to follow him under 1'38 per lap. By the way, Martin dominates seven KTMs. Bezzecchi came back to fifth but Di Giannantonio, third in the championship and teammate of Martin is only 21th.

The last five minutes promise to be hectic. At Leopard, we are working on the machine Dalla Porta, fourteenth. During this time, Martin tries not to serve as lip service to the rest of his colleagues... In 1'36.591, he gets everyone to agree, starting with Binder et Sasaki who follow him on the first line. This is the tenth pole for the Spaniard who hits a man on the head Bezzecchi only fifteenth and Di Giannantonio seventeenth.

Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island, Moto3 Qualifying: times.

1	Jorge MARTIN	01'36.591		88	SPA	Del Conca Gresini Moto3	Honda
2	Darryn BINDER	01'36.848	+0.257 / 0.257	40	RSA	Red Bull KTM Ajo	KTM
3	Ayumu SASAKI	01'37.117	+0.526 / 0.269	71	JPN	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Honda
4	Jakub KORNFEIL	01'37.357	+0.766 / 0.240	84	CZE	Redox PruestelGP	KTM
5	Gabriel RODRIGO	01'37.465	+0.874 / 0.108	19	ARG	RBA BOE Skull Rider	KTM
6	Philipp OETTL	01'37.54	+0.949 / 0.075	65	GER	Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing	KTM
7	Tony ARBOLINO	01'37.579	+0.988 / 0.039	14	ITA	Marinelli Snipers Team	Honda
8	Marcos RAMIREZ	01'37.711	+1.120 / 0.132	42	SPA	Bester Capital Dubai	KTM
9	Dennis FOGGIA	01'37.757	+1.166 / 0.046	10	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	KTM
10	Aron CANET	01'37.844	+1.253 / 0.087	44	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0	Honda
11	Albert ARENAS	01'37.892	+1.301 / 0.048	75	SPA	Angel Nieto Team Moto3	KTM
12	Kaito TOBA	01'37.896	+1.305 / 0.004	27	JPN	Honda Team Asia	Honda
13	Adam NORRODIN	01'37.943	+1.352 / 0.047	7	MAL	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Honda
14	Enea BASTIANINI	01'37.995	+1.404 / 0.052	33	ITA	Leopard Racing	Honda
15	Marco BEZZECCHI	01'38.11	+1.420 / 0.016	12	ITA	Redox PruestelGP	KTM
16	Alonso LOPEZ	01'38.17	+1.426 / 0.006	72	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0	Honda
17	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	01'38.21	+1.430 / 0.004	21	ITA	Del Conca Gresini Moto3	Honda
18	John MCPHEE	01'38.34	+1.443 / 0.013	17	GBR	CIP – Green Power	KTM
19	Jaume MASIA	01'38.414	+1.823 / 0.380	5	SPA	Bester Capital Dubai	KTM
20	Lorenzo DALLA PORTA	01'38.59	+1.999 / 0.176	48	ITA	Leopard Racing	Honda
21	Vicente PEREZ	01'38.828	+2.237 / 0.238	77	SPA	Reale Avintia Academy 77	KTM
22	Celestino VIETTI	01'38.853	+2.262 / 0.025	31	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	KTM
23	Yari MONTELLA	01'38.905	+2.314 / 0.052	55	ITA	SIC58 Squadra Corsica	Honda
24	Tatsuki SUZUKI	01'38.934	+2.343 / 0.029	24	JPN	SIC58 Squadra Corsica	Honda
25	Stefano NEPA	01'39.27	+2.436 / 0.093	81	ITA	CIP – Green Power	KTM
26	Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT	01'39.228	+2.637 / 0.201	41	THA	Honda Team Asia	Honda
27	Andrea MIGNO	01'39.516	+2.925 / 0.288	16	ITA	Angel Nieto Team Moto3	KTM