The first three test sessions were so random due to constantly changing weather conditions that we cannot draw any lessons from them, especially since the track is now dry and at 26°, i.e. say conditions not yet encountered during this weekend in Australia.
However, here are the references available :
|
Phillip Island Moto3 |
2015 |
2016 |
| FP1 | 1'37.209 Miguel Oliveira | 1'49.589 Nicolo Bulega (rain) |
| FP2 | 1'37.531 Jorge Navarro | 1'54.692 John Mc Phee (rain) |
| FP3 | 1'36.519 Brad Binder | 1'45.429 Francesco Bagnaia (mixed) |
| QP | 1'36.180 Danny Kent | |
| WUP | 1'36.437 Danny Kent | |
| Course | Oliveira, Vazquez, Binder | |
| All time lap record | 1'36.050 Alex Marquez 2014 |
After more than an hour and a half under the sun, it seems that the Australian weather has decided to play with the pilots' nerves since the flag indicating rain is waved the very second they set off. Just a minute's rain but enough to completely soak the track: everyone goes back to the box to put on the slicks!
Very, very steady… don't want to push lean angle limits slicks & a wet track.#AustralianGP https://t.co/7ywO7yIaOE
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 22, 2016
The sun immediately reappears, which hardly encourages the pilots to take risks on wet ground.
This first pass on rain tires is led by Francis Bagnaia in 1'44.704, before everyone came in to put the slick tires on.
Philipp Oettl is the first to set a time on slicks, in 1'42.666 then 1'41.415.
From then on, the red lights will light up everywhere and we successively see Nicolo Bulega, Philipp Oettl, Fabio Quartararo, then Nicolo Bulega again, seize provisional pole position, before the latter went off the track after his bike crashed 10 minutes from the checkered flag.
He's gone down! @nbulega has crashed after running off track with just over 10 minutes left! #RiderOK#AustralianGP https://t.co/IxA3KHlh4E
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 22, 2016
Andrea Locatelli, Fabio Quartararo, John McPhee, Brad Binder continue to lower the reference time to 1'39.087.
Juanfran Guevara falls heavily at turn #12 after a highside. He remained motionless but conscious before being evacuated on a stretcher, which led to the appearance of the red flag 4 minutes from the end of the session.
The drivers leave as a group for two flying laps at the end of which Brad Binder confirms his pole position ahead of Fabio Quartararo and Nicolo Bulega.
Mass restart! With 4 minutes left, this is going to be utterly intense# Moto3 #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/d8AQPnQlIy
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 22, 2016
fabio quartararo therefore finished 2nd, Jules Danilo 17e.
Ranking compiled by our friends at crash.net
1. Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 37.696s
2. fabio quartararo FRA Leopard Racing (KTM) 1m 37.790s
3. Nicholas Bulega ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 1m 38.487s
4. gabriel rodrigo ARG RBA Racing Team (KTM) 1m 38.570s
5. John mcphee GBR Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 1m 38.661s
6. Livio Law BEL RW Racing GP BV (Honda) 1m 38.776s
7. Andrea Migno ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 1m 38.981s
8. Darryn binder RSA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra)
1m 39.195s
9. George Martin SPA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra) 1m 39.272s
10. Francis Bagnaia ITA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra) 1m 39.347s
11. Joan mir SPA Leopard Racing (KTM) 1m 39.353s
12. Will Bendsneyder NED Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 39.439s
13. Jorge Navarro SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 1m 39.448s
14. Maria Herrera SPA MH6 Team (KTM) 1m 39.472s
15. Andrea Locatelli ITA Leopard Racing (KTM) 1m 39.485s
16. Enea Bastianini ITA Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda) 1m 39.513s
17. Jules Danilo FRA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda) 1m 39.551s
18. Khairul Idham Pawi MAL Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 39.589s
19. Niccolo Antonelli ITA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda) 1m 39.624s
20. Philipp Oettl GER Schedl GP Racing (KTM) 1m 39.630s
21. Fabio DiGiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda)
1m 39.675s
22. Aron canet SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 1m 39.740s
23. Adam Norrodin MAL Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda) 1m 39.828s
24. Juanfran Guevara SPA RBA Racing Team (KTM) 1m 39.890s
25. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda)
1m 40.110s
26. Tatsuki suzuki JPN CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra) 1m 40.159s
27. Albert Arenas SPA Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 1m 40.236s
28. Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 1m 40.412s
29. Hiroki Ono JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 40.537s
30. Stefano Valtulini ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra) 1m 40.969s
31. Marcos Ramirez SPA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra)
1m 40.996s
32. Fabio Spiranelli ITA CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra) 1m 41.198s
33. Lorenzo Petrarca ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra) 1m 41.410s
Matt Barton AUS Suus Honda (FTR Honda) 1m 45.537s