Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Official Phillip Island MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 27.767s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 28.108s (2013)

Johann Zarco leads a wet morning warm-up for the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, while Marc Marquez became only the second premier-class faller of the weekend when he was flicked off his Repsol Honda on an out-lap.

Conditions had been good enough for slicks in the previous Moto2 session, but more heavy rain arrived just as MotoGP warm-up began, robbing riders and teams of their last chance to gather meaningful slick tyre data ahead of the race.

This morning's rain will also remove the previous rubber, changing track grip levels even in the dry.

• Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island - Qualifying Results

Pramac Ducati's Zarco, quickest at the end of the wet Buriram race, was fastest by 1.427s from Aprilia's Maverick Vinales with Fabio Quartararo in third. All those times were set in the early laps, before the track had been soaked again.

Marquez almost lost control of his RC213V as he pulled away from the pits, then was rolling slowly on the kerb at Turn 2 when he was suddenly flicked off as he rolled on the power.

That incident made 2019 winner Marquez, tipped as a frontrunner with nothing to lose from second on the grid, the only rider without a lap time this morning. A practice fall for younger brother Alex is the only other accident so far this weekend.

World championship leader Quartararo, who struggled badly with high tyre pressure in the wet Thai Grand Prix, suffered a scare this morning but kept his M1 upright as he ran through the wet grass on the exit of the fast first turn.

He wasn't the only title contender suffering a close moment, with Enea Bastianini having to back out of a pass on fellow Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia at the MG corner.

Quartararo will start fifth on the grid, directly behind nearest title rivals Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro. Aprilia rider Espargaro was 22nd this morning.

Miller: 'I rode off like a dickhead, smoked my tyres in 2017'

The weather forecast still predicts a dry race, meaning a big question mark hangs over tyre choice, with many riders going into warm-up with a decision yet to be made on whether to pick the medium or hard compounds for the front and rear.

For the rear, both compounds seem to offer a similar race time, the medium being quicker at the start but then dropping off while the hard is more consistent but slower. Due to the high 'consumption' all rear tyres will need to be nursed in the early stages of the 27 laps.

"When I led the first 8 laps of the grand prix [in 2017], rode off like a dick head, like an absolute idiot, smoked my tyres, and I can tell you those were the longest 10 laps of my life at the end of the race when you do that," Jack Miller said after qualifying.

"The biggest contender has to be Marc. He’s got plenty of experience of winning around here. He’s in good form. He’s the one I’m looking at the most.

"Viñales is another one quietly creeping around and that Aprilia’s pretty good on its tyres.

"I think if we can manage our tyres pretty well…But it’s a lot of unknowns. We’ve never raced this casing of the rear tyre [here]. I put more laps in on the hard, it wasn’t too bad but I’m pretty interested to see what the 27 laps have in store for us."

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