Michelin Australian Grand Prix

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia

October 27, 2018

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Two:

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:29.199

2. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:29.509

3. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), 1:29.705

4. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), 1:29.712

5. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:30.026

6. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:30.140

7. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:30.270

8. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:30.328

9. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:30.519

10. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), 1:30.593

11. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:30.640

12. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), 1:32.367, crash

From Qualifying One:

13. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:30.174

14. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:30.452

15. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), 1:30.518

16. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), 1:30.646

17. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), 1:30.679

18. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:30.770

19. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:30.911

20. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), 1:30.958

21. Jordi Torres, Spain (Ducati), 1:31.141

22. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), 1:31.309

23. Mike Jones, Australia (Ducati), 1:32.639

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Zarco secures fantastic front row in Australia – Syahrin with best ever Qualifying performance

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo did a great job in today’s Qualifying at the Phillip Island circuit. In very tricky conditions, Johann Zarco set the third quickest time of the strong field and will start tomorrow’s 17th round of the 2018 season at 16.00 local time (6.00 CET) from the front row of the grid.

Meanwhile, Hafizh Syahrin delivered an amazing performance as well. The Malaysian rookie competed in Q2 for the very first time today and did brave to conquer a stunning 10th position, which takes him to the front of the fourth row, after overcoming a crash in FP3 this morning.

Johann Zarco

Position: 3rd – Time: 1’29.705 – Laps: 8

“I’m pretty happy about the first row. Qualifying today has been difficult with some drops of rain. Even we knew the track was dry, you are scared about it, so I was happy that the lap time was coming good until the last lap, when I was just too afraid to push even more. Anyway, after this Qualifying I’m so delighted to be third, because it’s an advantage for tomorrow and it also shows that I have the potential to fight with the guys in front. The pace for the race is not bad, so I will try to do it. I hope for nice weather on Sunday afternoon to give me even more confidence and enable me to fight close to the top. I think, we can have reasonable hopes to be back on the podium.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 10th – Time: 1’30.593 – Laps: 8

“This was a big day for me! I’m really happy, but at the same time I wasn’t too sure if I can make it to Qualifying and FP4, through I was very motivated and impatient to be on the bike. I try to get along with my pain in the fingers, the shoulder and the elbow. The result from FP4 was a huge surprise to me, because normally I’m quite cautious and slow coming back to track after a big crash. Maybe because I was really eager to prove myself, all this work payed off. Now I need to rest tonight because tomorrow we have a long race, so I try to recover as soon as possible, as my finger is quite in pain and I can’t bend it too much. Anyway, I’m really happy. Thank you very much to the team. We have a great feeling, although we had the big off this morning, but they keep me really motivated and I’m learning.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH ROW FOR APRILIA AT PHILLIP ISLAND

The cold asphalt at Phillip Island continues to complicate work for teams and riders. Temperatures on the Australian circuit were once again demanding today, combined with a strong wind the contributes to cooling the Michelin tyres.

Both Aleix Espargaró and Scott Redding made steps forward compared to yesterday, working intensely on the setups for their RS-GP machines. The significant changes increased the feeling for the two Aprilia riders, despite the results of the qualifiers where they finished respectively nineteenth (Aleix) and twentieth (Scott).

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“It was difficult to keep the tyres up to temp again today. With these low temperatures and, above all, with such cold wind, the front tyre in particular suffers. This makes the bike hard to turn and twitchy. We managed to improve between FP3 and FP4, making some drastic changes to the bike’s settings. We found a base to work from, but times and our position are clearly not the ones we were expecting.”

SCOTT REDDING

“Both Aleix and I are struggling on this track. Even using the softest compound tyre, I was unable to find the right confidence. It almost seems like I’m using the hardest tyres. For FP4 we made some big changes and I was able to recover a bit of feeling, but in qualifying the gap was reconfirmed because apparently the other riders are able to take advantage of better grip.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez equals Stoner with fifth Phillip Island pole in a row

Repsol Honda rider joined by two Yamahas on the front row after a qualifying session for the brave Down Under

Phillip Island is a place for the brave in any weather, with some of the fastest corners on the calendar. In qualifying for the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix that was even more true, as cool and windy conditions – and the threat of rain – made it a who dares wins and newly-crowned Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) played his cards to perfection, pushing early and then managing the risk to take his fifth pole in a row at the track. That equals Australian and MotoGP™ Legend Casey Stoner, who was the last man to take five in a row at the fabled circuit. Can Marquez add another win tomorrow to start to threaten Stoner’s victory count?

Standing in his way is some tough opposition. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts second and has shown top pace all weekend, with French fighter Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the front row. But when asked in the Press Conference who was the biggest threat for the win, the hot pick was in fact the man who heads up Row 2 – Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

The ‘Maniac’ has been on top of or close to the top of the timesheets all weekend and looks a key threat on race day. Iannone had taken provisional pole part-way through the session but he was then quickly ousted by Zarco as P1 chopped and changed. Marquez then slotted into third, 0.037 back. The Champion didn’t stay there for long though and he shot to P1 by a stunning 0.506 to raise the bar, setting a personal and session best lap time that would prove to be crucial. Why? As most of the riders pitted for fresh rubber, the heavens opened again.

The rain didn’t stick around but it hampered anyone in the quest to dramatically lower laptimes. Home hero Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) – in typical Miller fashion – had other ideas as he set orange sectors, but was ultimately unable to improve after a huge moment coming onto the Gardner Straight. Viñales then raised eyebrows by going quickest in the first split…but then couldn’t hook up the final sector in the difficult conditions either.

That was therefore that and an enthralling session ended with Marquez, Viñales and Zarco on that front row, with Iannone missing out by just 0.007 seconds. Fellow Team Suzuki Ecstar rider Alex Rins will start from P5, with Miller grabbing P6 in front of his home fans. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will aim to challenge for a podium from seventh on the grid as he leads an all-Italian third row, with the ‘Doctor’ having been on the podium in the premier class at Phillip Island 15 times out of 18. As always, not a bad record…

He’s joined on the row by Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) who was top Ducati, and Friday’s standout performer is joined by Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in P9 after ‘DesmoDovi’ took his worst qualifying result of the season.

Despite a huge Turn 1 crash in FP3, Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) earns his best Saturday afternoon result of the season and is top rookie in P10, joined on the fourth row by Q1 graduates Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team), also a crasher.

The title is done, the pressure is off and Phillip Island creates some of the greatest racing in the world. The front row think it will be another incredible Island battle, so don’t miss out – tune in from 16:00 local time (GMT +11) for the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. 

More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:

Michelin® Australian Motorcycle GP – Qualifying

#AustralianGP Quali. Jack Miller 6th and Danilo Petrucci 8th after qualifying at Philip Island

Saturday’s qualifying ends with a very positive result for Alma Pramac Racing as Jack Miller and Danilo Petrucci will start respectively from the second and third row on the starting grid of the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

After winning the direct qualification to Q2 thanks to the excellent performances in Friday’s free practice, Jack and Petrux also fight against the weather conditions, in particular against the strong wind that conditions the qualifying for the Pole Position.

Jack is the first to enter the track despite a few drops of rain and in the first run, he set the chrono that is worth the sixth position and the satisfaction of being the first Ducati on the grid.

Petrux suffers, in particular, the headwind and after having set the eighth fast time in the first run, in the second time attack he can not find the conditions to improve.

P8 – Danilo Petrucci

“I have suffered a lot from the strong wind. I am the largest rider in MotoGP and these conditions have penalized me a bit, but I am still confident that I can have a good race. The challenge for the Independent Trophy? Zarco starts from the front row but first of all I am sorry for Cal: I hope he will be back on track soon”.

P6 – Jack Miller

“I was the first to get on track and it wasn’t easy to ride alone all the time. It could have been the right strategy if it had started raining harder. If I have to be honest I expected something more but the second row is still a good result and I thank the team that has done a great job”.

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

Simeon celebrates best qualifying and aims at his first MotoGP points

MotoGP GP of Australia – Phillip Island

Reale Avintia Racing rider Xavier Simeon celebrated his best qualifying session of the season today at Phillip Island, finishing 17th with a best lap time of 1’30.679.

The Belgian rider managed to get more feedback and a better feeling with the soft rear Michelin tyre and is now another step closer to his goal of scoring points in the premier class. He hopes to further refine the set-up of his Ducati GP17 in the warm-up practice on Sunday morning, to improve his start and to gain some positions in the race in order to finally open his MotoGP points account.

His teammate Jordi Torres suffered a high speed crash this morning in turn 8 during FP3. The accident somehow dampened his confidence for a while, but in Q1 in the afternoon, he made a strrong comeback and improved his pace. Even more important was his consistency in FP4 with the hard rear tyre, which boosted his hopes to be able to fight with other riders in the race.

The MotoGP warm-up will start at 11:40h local time. The 27-lap-race is scheduled for 16:00h.

Xavier Simeon | 1’30.679 | P17

“This was the best weekend for me and for the team this season so far. We continued to work in the direction we took in Japan, where I was very comfortable with the bike, and as a consequence, I feel very good here as well. My sensations are the best I’ve had this year and we are getting closer. If I had been just two tenths of a second faster, I would have qualified within the top 15. My goal for tomorrow is to make a good start and fight for my first points in MotoGP. I really think points are within reach this weekend, but first of all we have to wait and see what the weather will be like, because it is always unpredictable her on Phillip Island. I want to thank the team because they are doing a great job and riding my bike is a lot of fun.”

Jordi Torres | 1’31.141 | P21

“It’s been a day of ups and downs. This morning I suffered a crash that I still can’t understand and that certainly didn’t help our progression. We finished FP3 with great caution and it took some time to get the feeling back with the bike. In FP4 we mounted the hard rear tyre and I liked it. We still have to improve our race pace a lot, but I finished quite satisfied. Q1 wasn’t bad because I felt comfortable again after my high speed crash. All in all we are getting closer and I hope I can take another step forward tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:

ABRAHAM JUST MISSES OUT ON Q2 BUT EQUALS BEST QUALIFYING

Ángel Nieto Team rider adapts quickly to Ducati GP17 and will line up in Australia in position 12+1

Marc Márquez continues to set new targets in MotoGP and after wrapping up the title last time out in Japan the Spaniard took his sixth pole position of the season in Australia, with more than three tenths of a second over second-placed Maverick Viñales and half a second over Johann Zarco in third. Márquez dipped into the 1’28s in good conditions at Phillip Island, whilst Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi will continue their battle for the runner-up spot in the championship from the third row.

Karel Abraham was just 0.007 seconds off qualifying for Q2 on a day when he still managed to equal his best grid position of the season. The Ángel Nieto Team rider will start from the 12+1 position, just as he did in Argentina, and he has his sights set on bigger targets after a swift adaptation to the Ducati GP17. His teammate for this race Mike Jones clocked his best lap of the weekend in qualifying (1’32.639) and is looking forward to racing in front of the home fans tomorrow.

12+1 Karel Abraham 1’30.174: “I am a little disappointed because today we had a big chance to make it through to Q2 but we are still struggling with some bumping in the bike and it is costing me some time. Otherwise, I have to be happy to equal my best grid position of the season and to set several laps with a strong pace. I always think that we have to be ready to fight for the points and here we are. If I feel good tomorrow, I want to fight for more. So far it has been a good weekend.”

23rd Mike Jones 1’32.639: “In general it has been a good day, we continued to make progress and we are understanding more about how the changes to the bike affect its performance. We have worked on that and on my riding, to try and understand everything more. I feel that we could have done a bit better in qualifying but now we have to think about the race. Hopefully the weather holds out and we can have a good race in front of the fans.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

NAKAGAMI ON THE FIFTH ROW AT PHILLIP ISLAND

On a day of tricky conditions at Phillip Island, LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami qualified on the fifth row for the Australian Grand Prix. Strong winds circled the iconic coastal circuit throughout Saturday and Nakagami eventually settled for 14th position on the timesheets.

The Japanese rookie – who is the sole LCR rider this weekend after Cal Crutchlow’s injury – found a better rhythm than on Friday and was in the mix for progression to Q2 after going 12th fastest in FP4. However, he narrowly missed out after taking fourth position in Q1 and is now targeting a quick start in Sunday’s MotoGP race.

Takaaki Nakagami – 14th

(1’30.452 – lap 8 of 8)

“It was really difficult conditions all today, from the morning to F4 and qualifying it was very difficult to adapt to the strong wind and also the track temperature was a lot lower than yesterday. It was difficult to find grip in all the sessions, but we made a step from yesterday even despite these conditions. In qualifying maybe we could have gone a little bit faster, but we did our best. For tomorrow we’ll try to make a good start, 27 laps is a very long race and so tyre management will be very important. I’ll give it my best on every lap and try to get a good result.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

FIRST AND THIRD ROW FOR MOVISTAR YAMAHA IN SHOWERY AUSTRALIAN QUALIFYING

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales again displayed strong speed at the Phillip Island Circuit today, securing second place on the grid for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Teammate Valentino Rossi also showed confidence today but was prevented from putting in a hot lap in this afternoon’s Q2 due to scattered rain in sector 4. He will start tomorrow’s race from seventh place.

Phillip Island (Australia), 27th October 2018

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales secured a front row start today during a mixed Q2 session at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, taking second place on the grid for tomorrow’s Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The worsening rainy conditions in sector 4 compromised teammate Valentino Rossi’s qualifying efforts. He secured seventh position on the third row of the grid.

Just before Q2, Viñales and Rossi underlined how comfortable they were feeling on their YZR-M1s in FP4, taking second and third place respectively. However, a bit of drama occurred right before the start of the 15-minute shoot-out. Spots of rain meant the track conditions would be considerably different to any of the previous free practice sessions.

Nevertheless, Viñales was feeling confident that he would be able to put in a hot lap and left the pits a little after the first few riders, to ensure a free track for his first stint. His second flying lap of 1’29.824s left him in provisional third place, before he came into the pits with more than eight minutes to go.

The Spaniard leapt onto his other bike and immediately made his way back out on the track, eager to show his pace. The early stop proved to be a master stroke: he managed to clock a 1’29.509s, moving him up from fourth to second place just before the rain became heavier. The number-25 rider had three more goes left as the conditions worsened and even set a fastest first sector on his final try, but he wasn’t able to better his time. He finished the session in second position, 0.310s from pole.

Rossi felt confident on his bike in the earlier free practice sessions, but he didn’t have the qualifying session he had hoped for. At the beginning he took some time to warm his tyres after he had left pit lane, allowing the majority of the pack to start their hot laps ahead of him. On his third flying lap the Italian put in a 1’30.270s to slot into sixth place before he returned to the pits for fresh tyres.

The Doctor had a quick stop and with more than five minutes on the clock hit the track again. However, just when the nine-time World Champion wanted to put his head down to up the pressure on his rivals, the rain intensified. Unable to better his time, he finished the session in seventh place, 1.071s from first.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

It was a very strong second day at Phillip Island from Maverick and he fully deserves this front row start. He’s had an impressive pace in every session so far and set some really great lap times during Q2, especially when you consider that the spots of rain made the track treacherous. It’s unfortunate that the rain got worse towards the end of Q2, just when Valentino was about to start his second run, because his pace in the FP4 session shows he also could have been a contender for the front row. However, the main thing for tomorrow is that both riders are satisfied with their bikes. Now it just comes down to making the right tyre decision for the race, and we’ll see what the weather brings to the table. I really hope it won’t influence the outcome of the race.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Today‘s qualifying was good. I expected a little bit more, but when I arrived at sector 4 it was raining there, so I couldn‘t finish my lap like I normally would. I‘m actually pretty happy about how the bike was working. I‘m in second place, so I‘m really satisfied with the bike’s performance, and the team is working well. We‘re not changing anything on the set-up; we‘re just riding and riding, getting in a lot of laps to get used to the bike. I‘m happy, because after Japan we made an improvement here, and I‘m able to be more consistent, especially in all the fast corners. I really don‘t know what to expect for tomorrow‘s race though. I want to be the rider that pulls away a little, but I will just try to do my best. I think we have good potential, so I just need to take a bit of a risk and stay in the 1‘29s, and it also depends on the tyre performance.

VALENTINO ROSSI

These were difficult conditions, because when it rains just a little bit and you are with slicks on the track, you have to be very brave. At this track you go very fast and you never know how much water is on the ground. It’s a shame, because I think under normal conditions today, we could start tomorrow’s race from a slightly better position, as in FP3 and FP4 I was quite strong. Anyway, starting from the third row, I will try my hardest. Today I improved the feeling with the bike and my pace, but we have to wait for tomorrow, especially for the tyre choice. We hope to have sun and good weather for the race.

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

POL ESPARGARO MAKES Q2 CUT AT AUSTRALIANGP

QUALIFYING 17th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Phillip Island (AUS)

Red Bull KTM’s Pol Espargaro gunned his KTM RC16 to Q2 for the second time this year and secured a season-best 11th place on the grid at a cold and windy Phillip Island circuit for the Grand Prix of Australia.

The blustery and changing conditions of Phillip Island and the spectacular course in the south of Australia welcomed the second step of the October ‘triple’ for MotoGP. The natural and curling high-speed track in the state of Victoria was a positive setting for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team and was scene of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith’s best results of 2017.

The duo immediately got to work through Free Practices 1, 2 and 3 where they posted lap-times to sit agonisingly close to the top ten and the automatic slots for the Q2 period. Smith was unlucky to crash at the bottom of the difficult Lukey Heights corner in FP4 and had to jump on his second KTM RC16 bike for Q1 where he ended the 15 minute session with 16th on the grid and the first space on the sixth row.

Espargaro pushed to enter Q2 for the second time in 2018. He made a 1min 30.1 chrono effort to sit second behind Alvaro Bautista. As the weather took a turn for the worst and raindrops began to fall Espargaro had to keep his remaining tyre combination and momentarily sat second fastest in the first minutes of Q2 but could not improve.

Espargaro: “We were very close to going direct to Q2 yesterday and this morning as well but finally we had to go through Q1 and needed to use the tyres we had to make that result. We could have been much nearer the front but we didn’t have the tyres. Anyway, we are 11th and have to be happy being in Q2. We are coming back from all the ‘lost’ time we’ve had this season. It was difficult to make a fast lap today. It was windier than yesterday and the problem is that the tyre temperature drops quickly. We tried our best and I think we did a good job.”

Smith: “We had a good FP3 and we tried to make a ‘magic’ bike for FP4 to go outside of our normal window to fix some problems. With the crash it took me a while to get up to speed in qualifying and then in those two last laps it was a gamble. One lap it was windy, the next it wasn’t, one lap you were blown off the track into turn one, the next it was fine. I think it was a case of who pushed to the limit and didn’t have to deal with the wind’ got the best lap. I didn’t see many people doing it consistently. It is a shame to be 16th because it hasn’t been our pace all weekend but I think with a good start and our race speed we can bring ourselves back to the top ten.”

Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “There have been some ups and downs throughout the weekend. We had high expectations because this race was great for us last year, one of the highlights, so we knew the bike fits quite well to the track. Anyway, we worked our way through the sessions and to get the tyres working in all conditions and in a similar way. It meant some big adjustments and was the challenge of the weekend. I think ending up in Q2 was a big relief. Inside qualifying itself we know that you have to manage the Free Practice almost as if it is QP time when it comes to the tyres. Ultimately we did not have the tyres left that we wanted but it was part of the plan. We could not show our full potential in Q2 but it was good to be there. We hope to see a good race tomorrow. We’d like to go forward from our qualifying positions but it depends a lot on the conditions with the wind and temperature. It is hard to predict. We are always heading for the top ten and I think we had hopes of better before the end of the season. It doesn’t come naturally and you need a bit of luck. The top ten is already a good result.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Third and fourth row starts for Ducati Team riders at Phillip Island. Andrea Dovizioso ninth and Álvaro Bautista twelfth in Australian GP qualifying

Andrea Dovizioso and Álvaro Bautista will line up for the start of tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, which starts at 4pm local time (06.00 CET), from the third and fourth rows of the grid respectively.

This morning the Ducati Team’s Italian rider finished FP3 in tenth, but he was fourth on aggregate thanks to the time he set in yesterday’s FP2 run. It then started to drizzle right at the start of Q2 and all the riders immediately went out on slick tyres to capitalize on the still dry asphalt. The tricky track conditions however did not allow Dovizioso to get any higher than ninth, with a time of 1’30.519, and that means that tomorrow Andrea will start from row 3 alongside Rossi and Petrucci.

Álvaro Bautista, whose crash yesterday meant that he had to miss virtually all of FP2, set ninth-quickest time in FP3 this morning, but this was not enough to earn him a place in Q2. In the afternoon the Spanish rider was quickest in Q1 with a time of 1’29.851, but he was unable to repeat this pace in the second qualifying session, and he also crashed out on his fourth flying lap, ending the day in twelfth place.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 9th (1’30.519)

“Today my qualifying run went pretty badly because I was not able to set my time at the right moment. Pity because the rain, even though it was light, disturbed us throughout all of Q2 and so now we have to start from row 3. During the weekend we’ve had a few ups and downs but as for my speed we’re not so bad. Tomorrow I’ll try and immediately make up a few places and then we’ll see. The race is very long and we’ll have to see how far we can push to manage the tyre wear in the best way and try and bring home a good result.”

Álvaro Bautista (Ducati Team #19) – 12th (1’32.367)

“Overall today was better than yesterday, even though I had a really bad crash after a few laps in Q2. I’m still not used to the gearchange of the GP18, a wrong gear went in when I was braking and the bike didn’t stop. I wasn’t able to prevent the crash but I’m OK, just a few scrapes on my back. I believe we’re working well and even though the weather condtions with the wind and the cold are not the best, we’ve made a good step forward. In Q1 I felt good on the bike and I lapped quickly, improving lap after lap. Tomorrow it’ll be important to get a good start because the first few laps on this circuit are fundamental and then during the race, we’ll have to administer the tyre wear, which will be another key factor in getting a good result.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

BOTH IANNONE AND RINS TO START FROM SECOND ROW

Andrea Iannone: 4th – 1:29.712 (+ 0.513)

Alex Rins: 5th – 1:30.026 (+ 0.827)

• Andrea Iannone with impressive pace again.

•Alex Rins sticking close to his team-mate.

•Team SUZUKI ECSTAR ready to push at the front.

Saturday morning’s FP3 session served as a good ‘warm up’ for the tricky conditions which lay ahead for the riders. Strong winds and chilly temperatures, as well as highly varied track temperatures, made for a difficult session. Nevertheless, Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins, both fast on Friday, secured direct passage to Q2.

In the calmer FP4 session both riders were able to show their promising pace once again, with Iannone impressively topping the time sheets. As Q2 arrived, so did distracting and worrying rain spots, but Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders were able to put their confident feelings with the bike to good use with Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins taking 4th and 5th on the grid respectively, giving them a good boost for tomorrow’s race.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“I would say it’s been another very positive day for us. During free practice Andrea showed great pace, and I think in qualifying we had more potential than the results showed but anyway, we’re quite happy to be on the second row as it’s a good starting position for the race. Alex also did well to improve and recover, and we feel that both of them are able to run with the top group tomorrow. We hope we can turn this opportunity into more good results.”

Andrea Iannone

“The conditions during qualifying were really bad, not really wet and not really dry, and some of the braking points were slippery and difficult. It was risky to push too much, but I put in a couple of quick laps. I’m a bit disappointed because I thought I could go for pole, especially as my feeling with the bike is really good and I’ve been fastest in some of the sessions. But no-one can control the weather, so we have to accept it! Everyone is fast and the times are close, the battle at the front will be big, but I hope to be one of the main contenders.”

Alex Rins

“Qualifying wasn’t bad and we hit our target, which was the second row. For sure it was very difficult out there, especially as there was some rain and uncertainty which meant it became a bit risky. But I tried to do my best, pushing as much as I could and doing it alone, so I feel happy with 5th place. The GSX-RR is working really well here, so we hope to be in the front group, but I think there will be many riders in that group. Anyway, we’ll try!”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix

MotoGP 2018 Round 17

Marquez masters tricky weather conditions to earn fifth consecutive Phillip Island Pole

Marc Marquez taking pole position at Phillip Island is nothing new, but it was not easy today for the 2018 MotoGP World Champion to secure his fifth consecutive pole at the track (equalling Casey Stoner’s five poles in a row).

Tricky weather conditions, including occasional rain, low temperatures and cold wind, made the search for bike setup challenging and the track conditions demanding.

Marc, wearing gloves and boots in Mick Doohan’s colors as a tribute to the Aussie legend, was able to choose exactly the best moment to push, and his 1’29.199” lap time proved to be untouchable in the final minutes of the session.

Dani Pedrosa failed to earn a spot in Q2 and will start from the sixth row of the grid in the Australian Grand Prix, which will begin tomorrow at 4 p.m. local time, 6 a.m. Central European time.

With a 47-point lead in the Constructors Championship and three races remaining in the season, Honda have the chance to clinch their 24th Constructors Title tomorrow.

Marc Marquez 93

POLE POSITION 1’29.199

“Pole position today was quite difficult, and it was especially tricky to understand when it was the right time to push. The light rain that was falling wasn’t strong enough to wet the tarmac, but when you see the little drops on your visor and windscreen, things become a bit scary at this track. As soon as I realized that the drizzle had stopped, I did a good lap that was enough to be on pole for tomorrow. At the moment, I’m able to be fast and close to the top riders, but honestly speaking, I’m not feeling as comfortable as I would like. We were able to improve over the weekend and our mentality remains positive like always, but we don’t know exactly what to expect from tomorrow’s race. We saw many crashes and we crashed as well, and the weather is very unpredictable. Tyre choice will be important, as will understanding that it’s not an on-off situation—we have the Constructors and Team Championships to think of, and if it’s not possible to win, then it’s time to look for the podium.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

18TH 1’30.770

“It has been a very difficult day due to the track conditions and the strong wind. I didn’t have a good feeling, especially in the fast corners in the first and third sectors. I struggled to keep the wheel down on the ground; I kind of felt as if I were sailing. I couldn’t really use the corner speed, and that was a problem at this track, which is all about corner speed and lean angle. I wasn’t riding very well and did very bad in qualifying. I just hope it’s a bit less windy tomorrow and we can do better than today.”