Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Qualifying (1) Results
| 2022 Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Qualifying (1) Results | |||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team |
| 1 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) |
| 2 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 3 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) |
| 4 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 5 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 6 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) |
| 7 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 8 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1)* |
| 9 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
| 10 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* |
| 11 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) |
| 12 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
| 13 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 14 | Tetsuta Nagashima | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
* Rookie
The top two riders - Johann Zarco and Alex Rins, towed to second behind the Frenchman - now progress to the Q2 pole position shootout, where they will join the ten fastest riders after third practice.
The others will start, in the above order, from 13th on the grid onwards.
Miguel Oliveira is under investigation for potentially holding up Enea Bastianini on the Italian's final lap.
MotoGP begins a three-race title showdown with Yamaha’s reigning champion Fabio Quartararo and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia separated by just two points heading into Phillip Island.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro also gained ground on Quartararo in Buriram to sit 20-points drift, with Enea Bastianini (-39) and home star Jack Miller (-40) – the highest scoring rider in the last three races - also still in world championship contention.
After roller-coaster fortunes for the top three in recent rounds, the Phillip Island weather could throw up yet more turmoil during what is the first Australian MotoGP since 2019, due to previous covid restrictions.
Joan Mir is back for Suzuki, while Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow returns to the scene of his 2016 victory as he starts the second half of an unexpected MotoGP return at RNF.
Takaaki Nakagami remains absent after needing a skin graft on his injured hand, with countryman and Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima again taking his place at LCR Honda.
As with the other end of season ‘flyaways’, absent since 2019, ten of the full time riders have no prior MotoGP experience at Phillip Island: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.
2022 Australia MotoGP - Full race weekend schedule (UK time)
Thursday 12th/Friday 13th October
23:00 - 23:40pm (Thu) Moto3 FP1
23:55 - 00:40am (Thu/Fri) MotoGP FP1
00:55 - 01:35am (Fri) Moto2 FP1
03:15 - 03:55am (Fri) Moto3 FP2
04:10 - 04:55am (Fri) MotoGP FP2
05:10 - 05:50am (Fri) Moto2 FP2
Friday 13th/Saturday 14th October
23:00 - 23:40pm (Fri) Moto3 FP3
23:55 - 00:40am (Fri/Sat) MotoGP FP3
00:55 - 01:35am (Sat) Moto2 FP3
02:35 - 02:50am (Sat) Moto3 Q1
03:00 - 03:15am (Sat) Moto3 Q2
03:30 - 04:00am (Sat) MotoGP FP4
04:10 - 04:25am (Sat) MotoGP Q1
04:35 - 04:50am (Sat) MotoGP Q2
05:10 - 05:25am (Sat) Moto2 Q1
05:35 - 05:50am (Sat) Moto2 Q2
Saturday 14th/Sunday 15th October
23:00 - 23:10pm (Sat) Moto3 Warm Up
23:20 - 23:30pm (Sat) Moto2 Warm Up
23:40 - 00:00pm (Sat) MotoGP Warm Up
01:00am (Sun) Moto3 Race
02:20am (Sun) Moto2 Race
04:00am (Sun) MotoGP Race
| Buriram: MotoGP World Championship standings | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Points | Diff. | |
| 1 | = | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 219 | |
| 2 | = | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 217 | (-2) |
| 3 | = | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 199 | (-20) |
| 4 | = | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 180 | (-39) |
| 5 | = | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 179 | (-40) |
| 6 | = | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 154 | (-65) |
| 7 | = | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 151 | (-68) |
| 8 | ^3 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 131 | (-88) |
| 9 | ˅1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 127 | (-92) |
| 10 | ˅1 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 122 | (-97) |
| 11 | ˅1 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 112 | (-107) |
| 12 | = | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 101 | (-118) |
| 13 | ^2 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 84 | (-135) |
| 14 | ˅1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | 80 | (-139) |
| 15 | ˅1 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 77 | (-142) |
| 16 | ^2 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 50 | (-169) |
| 17 | ˅1 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 49 | (-170) |
| 18 | ˅1 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 46 | (-173) |
| 19 | = | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 31 | (-188) |
| 20 | = | Fabio di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | 23 | (-196) |
| 21 | = | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 15 | (-204) |
| 22 | = | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | 10 | (-209) |
| 23 | = | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 9 | (-210) |
| 24 | = | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 9 | (-210) |
| 25 | = | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 3 | (-216) |
| 26 | = | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 2 | (-217) |
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
