• Álex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) wins at Phillip Island after a lively race
• Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) sets a new circuit record in 1min 27s 767
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) used his MICHELIN Power Slicks Medium Front and Hard Rear to win the busy Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Marc Mârquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) joined him on the podium, on second and third step respectively.
In qualifying, Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) set a new circuit record in 1min 27s 767, beating the previous one held by Jorge Lorenzo since 2013. Marc Márquez also improved this old record on the handlebars of his Honda, which demonstrates the performance of MICHELIN Power Slicks for different frames.
At the start of the weekend, the good weather allowed the drivers to work on the settings for the dry and to review the entire allocation of MICHELIN Power Slicks tires. The choices for the race were split between the Medium and Hard front, while most drivers opted for the Hard rear.
After two days of sustained rain, the track began to dry on Friday under the influence of a violent wind. Thus, the drivers were able to explore the level of grip of the MICHELIN Power Slicks. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) had set the best lap in Free Practice 1 (FP1) in 1min 30s 368 – almost 2.5 seconds off the lap record, which demonstrated the lack of grip on the still green track and the effect harmful wind. Despite a few showers around midday, Free Practice 2 (FP2) also took place in the dry. With higher temperatures and better track conditions, the times improved. Zarco again set the best time in 1min 29s 475 at the end of the session.
The wind had calmed down on Saturday and the drivers were able to work on their set-ups during Free Practice 3 (FP3) before putting on the rear Softs to try to secure a place in Q2. Marc Marquez was credited with the best time in 1min 28s 462. The good track conditions during qualifying allowed Martín to beat the circuit record
After the Grand Prix, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager, said: “ We know that conditions on Phillip Island can be difficult with wind and cold. But all the tires worked very well, especially the asymmetrical fronts which gave the drivers a lot of confidence in the curves. The performance of the tires was accessible to all drivers since in FP3, 17 drivers were separated by less than seven tenths of a second! And the cherry on the cake, Jorge Martin, on Ducati, and Marc Marquez, on Honda, both beat the old circuit record.
On Sunday morning, the rain slightly reduced the grip of the circuit, but this did not affect the tire choices. The track temperature reached 35°C at the start of the race and the Hard compound was chosen by most of the drivers and it was the one that won. But Marc Marquez fought to the end for victory with a Soft Rear, demonstrating the performance of the entire Phillip Island tire allowance. »
MotoGP Australian Grand Prix results:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
