At Phillip Island, unexpected opponents are sometimes a factor. This Friday, Marco Bezzecchi first collided with Alex Marquez before a wallaby decided to wander across the track. Two red flags, some fairing debris, and a few close calls later, the Italian nevertheless finished top of the Australian Grand Prix pre-qualifying session. This session confirmed Aprilia's formidable performance but also revealed Francesco Bagnaia's ongoing struggles.
Bezzecchi collides with Alex Marquez, then a wallaby interrupts the session
The first incident occurred when Marco Bezzecchi , riding behind Alex Marquez , clipped the rear of the Gresini Ducati with the front wheel of his Aprilia . The impact severely damaged the fairing of the RS-GP26. Bezzecchi crashed, and the debris scattered across the track forced race control to stop the session.
The Italian rider fortunately escaped any apparent injury and was able to rejoin the track on his second motorcycle. No sooner had calm been restored than another character appeared: a wallaby crossed the circuit before heading towards the service road. Another red flag.
Phillip Island is definitely a place where even the local wildlife seems to want to take part in the show!
Aprilia places four bikes in the top 5, Marc Marquez holds his own in Australia
Despite his crash, Bezzecchi ultimately set his best lap time of 1'26.775, ahead of Raul Fernandez , second by just 0,072 seconds. Marc Marquez , already fastest in the morning's free practice, slotted into third place with his factory Ducati , 0,126 seconds behind. Ai Ogura and Jorge Martin completed an impressive group of Aprilia riders.
Four Aprilias in the top five: the RS-GP26 seems particularly well-suited to the long, fast corners of Phillip Island. But Marc Marquez remains the odd one out, one that Aprilia would have gladly done without. Third place goes well, as he finishes ahead of Martin , his direct rival in the championship battle.
Alex Marquez falls again, Bastianini and Moreira in Q2
Despite his initial collision with Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez finished sixth , but suffered another scare at the end of the session with a crash, though no serious consequences were reported. Enea Bastianini, meanwhile, had an excellent session, placing his Tech3 KTM seventh.
Pedro Acosta, Diogo Moreira and Fabio Di Giannantonio complete the ten riders directly qualified for Q2. A particularly interesting performance for Moreira , ninth on his LCR Honda , on a complicated day for the Japanese manufacturer.
Bagnaia only 16th: Ducati has two faces
While Marc Marquez keeps Ducati's hopes alive, Francesco Bagnaia continues to go through a particularly difficult period. The Italian rider finished sixteenth, 0,952 seconds off the fastest time. A worrying result for someone who is still struggling to regain his feel for the Desmosedici GP26.
The gap with his teammate is revealing: Marquez fights with the Aprilia for the top positions, while bagnaia will have to go through Q1. Johann Zarco, eleventh, also lacks direct access to Q2, just like Jack Miller, Brad Binder et Fabio Quartararo, seventeenth.
All these drivers are forced to fight for their qualification in a session where the slightest mistake can be costly.
Marini's Honda out of business, Yamaha still struggling
Honda's situation is also worrying. Luca Marini , weakened by the flu, did not participate in pre-qualifying. His presence on Saturday will depend on his health.
At Yamaha Jack Miller remains the highest-placed, in twelfth position, ahead of Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins et Augusto Fernandez, the latter replacing Toprak RazgatliogluThe Japanese manufacturer thus remains absent from the top ten positions.
Phillip Island: Saturday in Australia could change everything
Between the incidents, Aprilia's domination and the difficulties of several favorites, the pre-qualifications delivered a spectacular first verdict.
But the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend could still reshuffle the cards.
Bezzecchi has the fastest time, Aprilia has four bikes directly qualified for Q2, and Marc Marquez remains in contention. As for Bagnaia , he will already have to fight just to join the frontrunners on the grid.
At Phillip Island, the show is just getting started. And after a wallaby, two red flags, and a shower of debris, one wonders what else the Australian circuit has in store for us! Before we find out, here's a summary of the known facts so far in Australia…
|
MotoGP™ Australia, Phillip Island |
2025 |
2026 |
| FP1 | 1'28.281 Jack Miller (See here) | 1'27.985 Marc Marquez (See here) |
| Practice | 1.26.492 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) | 1'26.775 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| FP2 | 1'27.278 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) | 1'37.112 Marc Marquez |
| Q1 | 1.27.072 Fermin Aldeguer (See here) | (See here) |
| Q2 | 1'26.465 Fabio Quartararo (See here) | (See here) |
| Sprint | Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez, Acosta (See here) | (See here) |
| Warm Up | 1'28.355 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) | (See here) |
| Grand Prix | Raul Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi (See here) | (See here) |
| All time lap record | 1'26.465 Fabio Quartararo (See here) |
