Gale-force winds forecast for Sunday means the main Australian MotoGP race has been moved forward to Saturday afternoon, swapping places with the Sprint, which now takes over the GP slot on Sunday (weather permitting).
Francesco Bagnaia takes an 18-point lead over Jorge Martin into today's race after the Pramac Ducati rider’s costly fall from the lead at Mandalika last Sunday.
However, Martin will start from pole position after setting a new Phillip Island lap record, with KTM's Brad Binder and reigning champion Bagnaia completing the front row.
Aleix Espargaro, Johann Zarco and Fabio di Giannantonio will form row two with Binder's team-mate and home hero Jack Miller starting between Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales in eighth.
Last year's Phillip Island winner Alex Rins withdrew on Saturday morning due to pain from his Mugello leg fractures.
Marc Marquez took his only podium of the season in Australia last year.
Grid order:
1. 89 Jorge MARTIN
2. 33 Brad BINDER
3. 1 Francesco BAGNAIA
4. 41 Aleix ESPARGARO
5. 5 Johann ZARCO
6. 49 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
7. 93 Marc MARQUEZ
8. 43 Jack MILLER
9.12 Maverick VIÑALES
10. 72 Marco BEZZECCHI
11. 44 Pol ESPARGARO
12. 23 Enea BASTIANINI
13. 73 Alex MARQUEZ
14. 37 Augusto FERNANDEZ
15. 25 Raul FERNANDEZ
16. 36 Joan MIR
17. 20 Fabio QUARTARARO
18. 10 Luca MARINI
19. 88 Miguel OLIVEIRA
20. 21 Franco MORBIDELLI
21. 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI
The medium rear tyre should be the safe choice for the 27 laps, but will some gamble on the soft?
Sunshine but some dark clouds overhead as the grid assembles at Phillip Island.
A reminder that the full 27-lap Australian MotoGP race will take place this afternoon, at 15:10 local time, with the usual Sprint race moved to Sunday due to weather concerns tomorrow.
Replays show a fuming Jack Miller being held up by Aleix Espargaro. Miller was left 8th.
Jorge Martin takes pole position for this afternoon's Australian MotoGP and will be joined on the front row by KTM's Brad Binder and title rival Francesco Bagnaia.
Interesting, Jorge Martin is gesturing for someone to follow him, perhaps his friend Aleix or team-mate Johann Zarco? It shows the confidence of the Pramac Ducati rider that no-one is going to get near his time.
Martin blasts to a new lap record, Binder and Bagnaia also improve to stay 2nd and 3rd.
Marc Marquez 7th.
3mins to go and the last two flying laps begin!
Martin has a big queue of riders behind him, led by friend Aleix Espargaro.
Bagnaia takes to the long lap on his out lap.... and Marc Marquez follows him!
Under 5mins to go and the rest of the field floods out of pitlane. Martin is doing a good job of trials riding, going as slow as he can without putting a foot down...
Maverick Vinales is out alone for his final run, he doesn't want to get involved in the tow-fest that's about to begin.
Vinales improves to 5th.
The rest of the riders pit for the second new rear tyre.
Order: Martin, Binder, Bagnaia, Zarco, A.Espargaro, Vinales, di Giannantonio, Miller, P.Espargaro, Bezzecchi, Bastianini, M.Marquez (no time).
Marc Marquez is already back in the pits, waiting for his remaining new soft rear tyre.
Pramac Ducati's Martin improves again on his second fast lap to sit 0.236s clear of Brad Binder, with Bagnaia an early third.
Martin is charging though, straight to provisional pole position with the best lap of the weekend so far on his first flying lap!
Home hero Jack Miller is trying to grab a tow from man of the moment Jorge Martin.
Qualifying 2 begins...
Qualifying 2 line-up:
Bagnaia and Marc Marquez now advance to the Qualifying 2 pole position shootout.
And he does. Marc Marquez steals second chasing Augusto Fernandez on his final lap, with Alex Marquez going 3rd. Fernandez, who also has a three-place grid penalty, drops to 4th.
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