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.
Martin starts on pole for Saturday's 13-lap sprint, with Bagnaia fifth.
6mins to go, qualifying order so far:
Maverick Vinales, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, Raul Fernandez, Francesco Bagnaia, Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Franco Morbidelli, Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder, Alex Rins, Fabio di Giannantonio.
Still no news on di Giannantonio after the earlier incident.
Replays show Marc Marquez sliding through Stoner corner.
Riders peel in for their mid-session tyre change.
Aprilia's Maverick Vinales sets the first 1m 27s of the day, Marc Marquez climbs to third behind Martin.
No replays of the di Giannantonio incident but the yellow flags have been brought in.
Martin improves again to a 1m 28.365s.
Martin goes fastest, but Fabio di Giannantonio is feared to have fallen at the fearsome Turn 1, with yellow flags being waved.
Title leader Jorge Martin has gone straight for the hard front slick, the only rider to do so.
Marc Marquez was fastest in the dry on Friday and then in the wet this morning, can he continue that form in qualifying?
Qualifying 2 begins.
No question about tyre choice, with slicks for all.
Raul Fernandez and Enea Bastianini join the Friday top ten:
Marc MARQUEZ
Alex MARQUEZ
Marco BEZZECCHI
Jorge MARTIN
Francesco BAGNAIA
Maverick VIÑALES
Brad BINDER
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
Franco MORBIDELLI
Alex RINS
Qualifying 1 over.
The last laps are indeed the best with Raul Fernandez shooting to the top and heading to Qualifying 2 alongside Enea Bastianini.
Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Pedro Acosta and local star Jack Miller all miss out.
Jack Appleyard in pitlane is reporting that local star Jack Miller has hit a rabbit or hare.
Miller shrugs off the impact and moves into second with 1min to go.
Acosta responds with the first 1m 29s lap of the day.
Enea Bastianini, currently battling Marc Marquez for third in the world championship, exactly matches Pedro Acosta's fastest lap.
Motegi pole qualifier Acosta now sets a 1m 30.8s. Marini continues to hold the other transfer place with 3mins to go.
The track should continue to get faster right until the end of the session.
Marini and Acosta are trading P1, with Acosta into the 1 m 31.6s.
For comparison, the lap record is 1m 27.246s by Jorge Martin.
8mins to go and we've reached the crossover point: Luca Marini goes fastest on slicks.
Augusto Fernandez on slicks is now within 0.750s of the best wet tyre lap.
9mins to go and Bastianini's Ducati, with slicks fitted, is rolled out of the garage.
Jack Miller does a bike swap for slicks.
Zarco and Miller on the medium wets are currently quickest.
Fabio Quartararo leaves the pits after changing to slicks.
Enea Bastianini is stilling calmly in the pits and waiting for conditions to improve enough for slicks to be faster.
Luca Marini, Joan Mir and Augusto Fernandez are the 3 riders to start on slicks.
Qualifying 1 begins and riders charge out of pit lane... some of them already on slicks.
Fabio QUARTARARO
Jack MILLER
Pedro ACOSTA
Johann ZARCO
Augusto FERNANDEZ
Enea BASTIANINI
Joan MIR
Aleix ESPARGARO
Luca MARINI
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
Lorenzo SAVADORI
Raul FERNANDEZ
The 40-minute FP3 session ends, Marc Marquez stays fastest from Maverick Vinales with Johann Zarco climbing to third.
The sun is still shining, surely we'll see slicks in the upcoming Qualifying 1...
Nakagami is under investigation for not immediately getting off the track when he was given the black and orange flag, after smoke was seen billowing from the back of his RC213V.
