MotoGP Australia FP4: wind interrupts session and cancels qualifying

During FP2, the only session which has so far taken place in the dry on the Phillip Island circuit in Australia, Maverick Viñales, Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller, Marc Márquez, Valentino Rossi, Álex Rins, Franco Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaró proved to be the fastest and, as such, were pre-qualified for Q2 at the end of the first day of testing.

This morning, the rain did not allow FP3 to upset this hierarchy, leaving our two representatives Fabio Quartararo et Johann zarco still out of this selection.

With conditions changing extremely quickly, even the smallest run of FP4 which is currently expected to be dry is therefore of great importance in gathering sufficient data to be able to choose which tires will be used in the race.

It is now 14° and if the wind blows strongly, the southern sun allows the coating to rise to 24°, which, ultimately and apart from the wind, are good conditions for the minutes (or seconds) to come.

Here are the references available for this 4-minute FP30 which will start with a slight delay due to the cleaning of the track after a Moto3 spilled oil:

Phillip Island MotoGP™	2018	2019
FP1	1'29.952 Maverick Viñales (See here)	1'38.957 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP2	1'29.131 Andrea Iannone (See here)	1'28.824 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP3	1'29.714 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'31.338 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP4	1'29.604 Andrea Iannone (See here)	1'31.185 Marc Márquez
Q1	1'29.851 Alvaro Bautista (See here)
Q2	1'29.199 Marc Márquez (See here)
Warm-up	1'29.254 Andrea Iannone (See here)
Course	Vinales, Iannone, Dovizioso (See here)
All time lap record	1'27.899 Jorge Lorenzo (2013)

When the red lights go out, Franco Morbidelli is the quickest to rush, unlike his teammate, fabio quartararo, who takes his time in order to have a clear runway.

Concerning the tires, the rear medium does not seem to suit the drivers:

After a discovery tour, the drivers pick up the pace and we find Marc Márquez at the top of the ranking, in 1'32.077 at the end of his second flying lap. It precedes Alex Rins, Pol Espargaró, Johann Zarco, Cal Crutchlow and Franco Morbidelli.

After 10 minutes, Miguel Oliveira fell at very very high speed having apparently been blown off the track at the end of the straight by the wind. The Portuguese pilot remains on the ground and we hope for reassuring news as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Maverick Vinales reduced his gap to 2/10 with Marc Márquez which is in 1'31.312, clearly meaning that these two drivers are above the rest for the moment.

By occupying sixth position, Johann zarco makes a good start to the session while Fabio Quartararo returns to his box without having really forced himself.

At the end of the first run, Marc Márquez et Maverick Vinales previous Pol Espargaró, Álex Rins, Franco Morbidelli, Johann Zarco, Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow, Joan Mir and Miguel Oliveira.

The two Ducati officials are 11th and 12th, just ahead fabio quartararo.

Shortly after mid-session, the red flag went out for a few minutes.

We initially believe that it is to recover panel numbers blown away by the wind, but, quite extraordinary, all pilots are summoned for an extraordinary Safety Commission. The wind which blows at peaks of 60 km/h and which caused the fall of Miguel Oliveira is the subject of this meeting.

After long minutes of discussion behind closed doors, the decision is made to cancel today's qualifications For safety reasons. Apparently, 19 pilots voted to stop, 3 to continue…

A priori, the times achieved during FP2 will be used to establish the starting grid but a qualifying session could also take place tomorrow if conditions permit. Taking the FP4 times is also a solution considered, which would then favor the two French drivers.

Warm-up times may therefore be subject to change. Stay connected…

A little after, Hervé Poncharal brings reassuring news regarding the state of health of Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese driver did not suffer any fractures and did not lose consciousness.

The Portuguese driver will, however, be re-examined tomorrow morning.

FP4 standings for the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island:

FP2 standings for the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island:

Credit rankings: MotoGP.com