05:36
Marc Marquez goes top again with a 1m28.674s.
Jack Miller
2024 Australian MotoGP: Friday Practice as it happened
Recap Friday practice at the 2024 Australian MotoGP.
Jorge Martin holds a slender 10-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia as the final triple header of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship begins at Phillip Island in Australia.
Always one of the most anticipated rounds of the season, the thrilling seaside circuit has been the scene of many epic battles, while the notoriously unpredictable weather is set to keep teams and riders on edge.
This year’s event comes with the added unknown of MotoGP’s very first laps on the new Phillip Island asphalt.
The last time the Australian track was resurfaced, in 2013, MotoGP required a shortened race distance and pit stops due to the overheating Bridgestone rubber.
The same fate then befell the WorldSBK Championship when it took to the latest tarmac in February of this year, meaning all eyes will be on Michelin’s chosen line-up of 2024 MotoGP compounds.
Whatever happens, MotoGP will be hoping for its first Phillip Island Sprint race this weekend, after storm warnings saw the Saturday race replaced by the full grand prix in 2023.
Martin came within a lap of glory last year, until a soft tyre gamble backfired and team-mate Johann Zarco swept to a long awaited first MotoGP win. The forecast storm then arrived on Sunday, cancelling the rescheduled Sprint.
FP1 starts at 10:45am local time (12:45am UK) followed by Practice at 3:00pm (5:00am UK).
18 Oct 2024
05:34
Couple of riders - A.Marquez and Binder - having a look at the hard front tyre right now.
05:34
Bagnaia is in 14th at the moment. Rain is staying away, but he'll want to get out there and get some better laps under his belt just in case.
05:33
Half an hour of the session gone, half an hour to go. Still no rain. Top 10 is:
- Miller
- M.Marquez
- Martin
- Di Giannantonio
- Bastianini
- Bezzecchi
- Acosta
- Vinales
- Zarco
- Binder
05:30
TV replay shows Fabio Quartararo having a lot of rear chatter on corner-entry. The Frenchman is down in 16th at the moment.
05:29
Marc Marquez hasn't come back out since the red flag. He's now been dethroned by Jack Miller with a 1m28.731s. Bagnaia pushed out of the top 10 into 12th.
05:27
Bastianini nows jumps into the top 10 in third.
05:26
Bagnaia finally cracks the top 10 in ninth.
05:25
Martin stays second but improves to a 1m29.029s.
05:24
Martin goes second with his next lap. Bagnaia moves up to 13th.
05:23
Bagnaia is only 16th with his first timed lap.
05:22
Martin goes ninth with a 1m29.753s.
05:20
Big, nasty grey clouds coming their way towards Phillip Island now. Big laps coming up now for Martin and Bagnaia.
05:18
No times set for Bagnaia or Martin right now. The session has gone green again, but this has been a disaster start to Practice for the championship top two.
05:17
The red flag is due to wildlife. A bird has made its way onto the circuit.
05:15
red flag
Session has been stopped.
05:15
Marc Marquez has come back into pitlane after that first run. The sun is shining a bit stronger now, which is exactly what Martin and Bagnaia want to be seeing.
05:14
After 15 minutes of running, the top 10 is:
- M.Marquez
- Di GIannantonio
- A.Marquez
- Vinales
- Zarco
- Binder
- Morbidelli
- Acosta
- Quartararo
- Bezzecchi
05:13
Marc Marquez is improving again at the top of the order with a 1m29.020s.
05:13
Seems like both Bagnaia and Martin were delayed by the fact their second bikes were set up for the wet.
05:12
Bagnaia doesn't have a lap on the board yet but is heading out now.
05:11
Marc Marquez is back on top with a 1m29.151s.
05:11
Martin is heading back out now just as a big ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds. He needs to get on with this quickly now in case the rain does come back and he finds himself in Q1.
05:10
Maverick Vinales goes fastest with a 1m29.383s.
05:09
incident
Jack Miller has crashed at Turn 4. He ran wide at the corner named after him and fell as soon as he touched the wet grass. He's ok.
