Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Free Practice (1) Results

Free Practice (1) results from the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, round 18 of 20 in the 2022 world championship.
Johann Zarco, MotoGP, Australian MotoGP, 14 October
Johann Zarco, MotoGP, Australian MotoGP, 14 October
2022 Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Free Practice (1) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)1'30.368s21/21347k
2Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.091s18/19348k
3Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+0.125s19/19348k
4Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.143s20/20347k
5Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.319s21/21348k
6Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)+0.422s19/19350k
7Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.529s13/22350k
8Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.709s20/20348k
9Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*+0.719s20/20345k
10Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*+0.798s20/22347k
11Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.826s15/23347k
12Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.827s20/25342k
13Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)+1.051s22/22346k
14Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+1.068s18/23347k
15Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.163s21/21345k
16Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*+1.332s20/20337k
17Cal CrutchlowGBRWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)+1.500s16/22343k
18Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.582s11/23342k
19Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.810s13/22345k
20Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+1.839s19/20340k
21Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+2.198s20/20342k
22Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+2.463s12/19340k
23Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+2.579s18/19338k
24Tetsuta NagashimaJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+4.069s15/21342k

* Rookie

Official Phillip Island MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 28.108s (2013)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 27.899s (2013)

Johann Zarco leads home hero Jack Miller during Free Practice 1 for the Australian MotoGP at a dry but cool Phillip Island.

While the heavy rain that flooded the track has fortunately passed, there were still some small streams of water crossing the track and sitting in the kerbs to keep riders on their toes during MotoGP's first laps since 2019.

Fabio Quartararo, whose title lead has been cut to just two points over Francesco Bagnaia after tyre pressure woes in Thailand, suffered an early out-of-the-seat moment before heading the timesheets during the middle stages.

The Frenchman was then demoted by Marc Marquez, winner of the 2019 round, who had some Ducati-style aero updates available on the front and rear of one of his RC213Vs.

But the eight-time world champion focused on his standard machine as he slid 0.465s clear of Quartararo, with team-mate Pol Espargaro creating a rare Repsol Honda one-two soon after.

Marquez then gathered data on the new aero, including stabilising vertical rear vanes (seen on the Ducati since Silverstone, then briefly at Suzuki in Motegi) in the final ten minutes.

Meanwhile, newly married home star Miller sent his Ducati to the top on new soft tyres in the final minutes but lost out to Pramac's Johann Zarco by 0.091s on the final lap.

Alex Marquez slotted into a surprise third for LCR Honda, ahead of Suzuki's Alex Rins, Aprilia's title contender Aleix Espargaro (who had been as low as 17th) and Gresini's Enea Bastianini.

Marquez elected to remain on old tyres in seventh, ahead of Bagnaia, Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi. 

Quartararo was pushed to 12th (+0.8s) but was another to stick with used tyres.

Phillip Island is famous for some seagull scares, but there was also a wallaby on track during the opening minutes.

Kangaroo, MotoGP, Australian MotoGP, 14 October
Kangaroo, MotoGP, Australian MotoGP, 14 October

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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 will be 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 RiderNatTeamPointsDiff.
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)219 
2=Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)217(-2)
3=Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)199(-20)
4=Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)180(-39)
5=Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)179(-40)
6=Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)154(-65)
7=Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)151(-68)
8^3Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)131(-88)
9˅1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)127(-92)
10˅1Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)122(-97)
11˅1Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)112(-107)
12=Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)101(-118)
13^2Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)84(-135)
14˅1Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*80(-139)
15˅1Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)77(-142)
16^2Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)50(-169)
17˅1Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)49(-170)
18˅1Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)46(-173)
19=Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)31(-188)
20=Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*23(-196)
21=Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)15(-204)
22=Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*10(-209)
23=Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*9(-210)
24=Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*9(-210)
25=Cal CrutchlowGBRWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)3(-216)
26=Stefan BradlGERRepsol Honda (RC213V)2(-217)

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