Michelin Australian Grand Prix

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Phillip Island, Australia

October 21, 2017

Qualifying Results (all on using Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Session Two:

1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:28.386

2. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:28.719

3. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:28.744

4. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:28.937

5. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:28.964

6. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:29.030

7. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:29.203

8. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:29.271

9. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:29.321

10. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:29.429

11. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:29.496

12. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:29.546

From Qualifying Session One:

13. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:29.824

14. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:29.847

15. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:29.961

16. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:30.085

17. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:30.224

18. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:30.471

19. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:30.543

20. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:30.806

21. Broc PARKES, Aystralia (YAMAHA), 1:30.889

22. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:30.900

23. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:31.158

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Miller’s courageous comeback continues at Phillip Island

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller equalled his career best MotoGP qualifying performance with a stunning fifth fastest time in qualifying for his home race at Phillip Island.

Miller openly declares his love affair with the fast and sweeping 4.4km seaside circuit where speeds reach 335kph.

This second row starting spot mirrors his qualifying performance at this race in 2016 when he finished tenth in the race.

But the gritty Australia is determined to deliver a much better result in this year’s 27-lap race, which is round 16 of the MotoGP World Championship..

Showing no loss of speed despite riding with a plate and eight screws in his right leg Miller has made a courageous comeback from a training injury suffered just three weeks ago.

Miller will roll onto the grid tomorrow just 23 days after fracturing his right tibia.

In both the wet and dry conditions during practice and qualifying Miller has been smooth and fast aboard his Honda RC213V and is confident that he will have the stamina to go the race distance at full speed.

Miller’s practice pace put him directly into the Q2 qualifying session and he secured fifth on the grid with a time of 1’28.964, which was just 0.5s off the pole position time set by Marc Marquez.

In the Q1 session Tito Rabat ran his fastest laps of the weekend so far to secure 14th on the grid, having made a dramatic improvement with his speed and set-up from Friday’s opening free practice sessions.

Jack Miller: 5th – 1’28.964

“I am really happy with my condition and feeling on the bike just three weeks after my injury. I love Phillip Island so it is really cool to be going fast at my home track. Fifth place is a good spot for me in the race and I’m hoping to make a strong start and hook-up with the top group, I feel I have the race pace to do that. Once I’m on the bike my leg is not giving me any trouble and I think it will be good for the race, I’m ready to go.”

Tito Rabat: 14th – 1’29.847

“I feel really positive about this qualifying because I made a really good improvement over Friday practice, not just my lap time but my rhythm for the race. My target was to do a 1’29 lap so I am happy to achieve that and this will be good position to challenge for a strong result and some good points in the race.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“Considering his injury this was a very good qualifying performance by Jack, who set his fastest lap on his first time attack with a new tyre. Starting fifth at his home track gives him the opportunity for a strong race and we are very happy to have him back in the team after missing him in Japan last weekend. And Tito showed a good step forward to qualify 14th, he has the potential to chase down some good points in the race.”

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

Zarco stars to qualify on front row at Phillip Island – Parkes ready for home GP challenge

Johann Zarco produced a dazzling performance to qualify in 3rd for the round 16 fight tomorrow. The rapid rookie began the day with a highly confident display in mixed conditions to complete FP3 in 2nd, however, his personal best from yesterday saw him progress through to Q2 in 8th. He commenced the shootout with instant speed and eventually finished with a hot lap that left him just 0.025 back from Maverick Viñales and as the top independent rider.

Meanwhile, Broc Parkes will seek to please his fans in his debut race aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 from the 7th row of the grid. The Australian made solid steps forward in the morning practice and then completed Q1 with an impressive showing to outperform several experienced MotoGP regulars. The headline event begins at 16:00 local time, or 07:00 in central Europe.

Johann Zarco

Position: 3rd – Time: 1’28.744 – Laps: 8

“After qualifying third, I have high expectations for tomorrow and I hope to stay with Marquez and Viñales in the race. I think that they are going to be the two strongest riders and they will fight, plus, I’m sure that Viñales will want to take the opportunity to win the GP. If I can follow them and battle for the podium, it would be fantastic. As for my pace, it was quite positive and I was happy to use the medium tyre in FP4 and I felt good on it. Now we will wait and see what happens with the weather tomorrow but I am confident that we can have a great 27 lap sprint.”

Broc Parkes

Position: 21st – Time: 1’30.889 – Laps: 7

“Every time I get on the Yamaha YZR-M1, I feel more comfortable and I make bigger steps forward. In qualifying it was dry and it was the first time that I felt like the bike was together with me. The gap to the guys that I am battling with is smaller now and for the race tomorrow I think that I can improve lap by lap and I hope I can fight for a top fifteen finish.”

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

Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix – Qualifying

Petrux and Scott to start from row 6 and 7 on the grid of Michelin® #AustralianGP

The qualifying for Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix finished without high lights for Octo Pramac Racing. On a very difficult Saturday for Ducati’s riders (only Dovizioso in Q2), Petrux and Scott are unable to overcome the difficulties encountered in free practice, having to settle for the sixth and seventh row.

Petrux tries to push in Q1 but the feeling is not the best. On the last lap, a crash at turn 10 did not allow him to gain a few positions on the grid (18th position). In the FP3 in wet conditions, however, the rider from Terni lapped very fast (fifth quickest lap-time) and this could prove to be an important confidence boost in case of wet race tomorrow.

For Scott, a negative weekend end since Friday. The English rider wasn’t able to make an impact even in the wet FP3 (P18) and in qualifying he had to settle for P20.

18th Danilo Petrucci – 1’30.471

“It was one of the toughest days of the whole season. I have never been fast except in wet conditions. That’s why I can only hope in the rain tomorrow to make a good race. We don’t have many solutions on the dry”.

20th Scott Redding – 1’30.806

“I honestly do not know what to say. I struggled a lot in every part of the circuit, especially in keeping the front wheel down. We have tried many solutions, but none of them has allowed us to improve. It’s a very difficult weekend.”.

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini:

ESPARGARÓ ON THE THIRD ROW AFTER THE PHILLIP ISLAND QUALIFIERS

WEATHER PERMITTING, GOOD POTENTIAL FOR APRILIA AND THE SPANISH RIDER

After leading the Friday sessions and proving to be fast in FP4 in race setup, the Espargaró-Aprilia duo took on qualifying setting their sights on the first two rows. The result eluded them only because of traffic on the track that Aleix ran into on all of his flying laps. In spite of it all, the Spanish rider rode his RS-GP to the third row with an eighth place time (1’29.271).

In any case, Aleix can count on the good feedback from the fourth session, the one that most reflects the race situation. In addition to his fourth best time, just a shout from the leaders, Espargaró turned a series of fast laps, showing a rather consistent pace. Unless there is a change in the weather, something that is anything but improbable on this track, a top 5 finish seems to be a goal well within reach for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini.

Sam Lowes had a bit of difficulty in qualifying, struggling to maintain the optimum range of use for the tyres due to the low temperatures. With just a few available laps, the English rookie had to settle for the eighth row.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I expected more from qualifying after the potential we showed in the other sessions. Unfortunately, I was never able to get in a clean lap because of traffic. There were a few slow riders in front of me and to be honest, I am not able to ride to the limit in these conditions. In any case, we showed that we have a good pace, especially in FP4, which is the session that best reflects our situation for the race. The third row in such a long and demanding race is not a big limit. A few of the riders in front of us don’t seem to have a particularly competitive race pace, so fighting for the top 5 is a realistic goal.”

SAM LOWES

“I am rather satisfied with our work, although compared to yesterday I had more difficulty maintaining tyre temperature. It was a condition that was quite clear in qualifying, where it is hard to get the tyres into the right temperature range because of the little time available. It’s a vicious cycle: you’re not able to push because you don’t have the right feeling, but you should do just that to warm up the tyres and get them to work right. In the race things are different. We showed that we have a good pace and, as always, my Aprilia is able to manage wear over race distance well.”

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

Loris Baz 17th and Hector Barbera 19th in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix

Reale Avintia Racing riders Loris Baz and Hector Barbera will start tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix from the 17th and 19th place of the grid.

The second day of practice, with two more free sessions followed by qualifying, took place in mixed conditions, with a wet and cold track in the morning and full dry conditions for qualifying this afternoon.

Baz and Barbera made a step forward in dry conditions. As their positions on the time sheets don’t reflect their real pace, both riders are hopeful to recover positions in the race and continue to aim at a top ten result. If the forecast is right and it rains tomorrow, Barbera is more optimistic than Baz, as the Spaniard was eighth fastest in this morning’s wet free practice session. On the other hand, if the warm-up session is wet, Baz hopes to improve his feeling and get ready for the race.

The MotoGP race of the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled later than usual and will be started at 16:00 local time (07:00 CET).

Loris Baz | 1’30.224 | P17

“We have improved a lot since yesterday, but this morning it rained and we had to do all the work in FP4. In the end, we just would have needed one more lap to take another step in the Q1. All Ducati riders are struggling here and except for ‘Dovi’, it’s tough for everybody. We will see what the weather will be like in the race tomorrow. If it is dry, we have options to do well, if it is rainingm, there is much more left to do and we need to work in the warm-up to improve. We have been struggling to find our usual speed in the wet since the race in Misano and today’s wet session in the morning didn’t make a difference.”

Hector Barbera | 1’30.543 | P19

“Today we worked a bit better. The conditions in the morning have been quite particular, but in the afternoon we improved a lot. I think if the track is dry in the race, we can get a good result. We made many changes on the bike and all have been positive, only that my fastest lap maybe fell a bit short of our expectations. But my rhythm has improved a lot and I should be able to make a good recovery during the race. I hope to enjoy riding and above all I pray for the wind to stay calm, because this is my main handicap here. If it rains I think we can do well, as we have shown in FP3. “

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Difficult qualifying session for Ducati Team riders at Phillip Island. Andrea Dovizioso, eleventh, and Jorge Lorenzo, sixteenth, to start from row 4 and 6 respectively in tomorrow’s Australian GP

Andrea Dovizioso will start from the fourth row of the grid in the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, which takes place tomorrow at 07.00 CET (16.00 local time) at the Phillip Island circuit. After finishing eighth in FP3 in the morning and then crashing without harm in the next free practice session, the Italian took part in Q2, which was held on a dry track, and finished eleventh with a time of 1’29.496.

It will be a sixth row start for Jorge Lorenzo, who after yesterday was outside the top 10 and who this morning was not able to improve his time in the wet FP3 session. The Spanish rider crashed out spectacularly, suffering bruises and a sprained left ankle. Jorge however took part both in FP4 and in Q1 but was unable to do any better than sixth (1’30.085) and will start the race from row 6.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’29.496 (11th)

“The crash in FP4 conditioned my qualifying session a bit. We could surely have gone quicker, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to ride as well as yesterday and so we start down the grid. A real pity, but that’s the way it went and now we have only to think about tomorrow to try and work out where we can improve, because in any case my pace with the medium tyre is not bad. We’re not going to give in and we’ll see what we can do in the race.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’30.085 (16th)

“It was a very tough day because things went totally in the wrong direction. This morning the rain meant that it was going to be impossible for us to improve enough to get into Q2 and obviously the crash didn’t make the situation any better. It was a bad crash and I rolled over a number of times in the gravel: I immediately thought I had broken something, but luckily the x-ray ruled out any fractures and only confirmed a sprained left ankle, which hurts a lot. In this condition we weren’t able to improve the bike in the dry and tomorrow, if it doesn’t rain, we’ll go back to our original settings on Friday to try and make a step forward. It’s going to be a long hard race but I will try and find a good pace and fight to the finish.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Brilliant Marc Marquez takes fourth consecutive Phillip Island pole position

In varying weather conditions, Marc Marquez displayed a great pace on the second day of the Australian Grand Prix, topping the wet FP3 and the dry FP4 before taking a superb pole position to extend his record of poles to 72 in career, 44 in MotoGP, with seven this season and four in a row at Phillip Island.

His amazing qualifying achievement also earned him the fifth BMW M Award in succession, as the best qualifier of 2017.

Dani Pedrosa was fast enough in the wet this morning, when he set the sixth quickest lap time, but he was unable to match that speed in the dry-but-cold afternoon sessions and had to settle for the 12th best qualifying lap time.

Weather forecasts indicate continuing changeable conditions for tomorrow’s MotoGP race, which will get underway at 4 p.m. local time.

Marc Marquez 93

POLE POSITION 1’28.386

“I’m happy because I felt good in every session and in every condition. We found good speed for the single lap, but we were also able to keep a good rhythm in the practices, which is what really counts for the race. I think that the work we did in the FP4 session was important. I was also very comfortable in qualifying, but I encountered some traffic at some points. I understand that the slipstream is important here, and it’s okay if some other guys follow during the practices, but in qualifying I obviously preferred to ride alone. I just waited a bit before exiting for my second flying lap and then I had the chance to do a really good lap. I’m happy with this pole but the race is tomorrow. It’s true that Dovi is a bit behind on the grid here, but also at Motegi he was only ninth! We just have to wait and see how the weather is tomorrow, as it seems it will be unstable like today. Then I’ll try and give my 100% and push from beginning to end.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

12TH 1’29.546

“Today qualifying was quite difficult. FP3 in the wet wasn’t so bad, but I wasn’t as fast as I expected in dry FP4 and qualifying. I couldn’t ride as fast as I wanted on my first flying lap, and I didn’t improve on my second try either. I didn’t have enough confidence in mid-corner to push hard. Obviously our grid position isn’t good but we now have to focus on tomorrow’s race. We must try to get away well and see if we can keep the pace of the group. We’ll see how the weather is and we’ll do our best.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA PILE ON PRESSURE IN PHILLIP ISLAND QUALIFYING

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales qualified second on the grid for tomorrow‘s Australian Grand Prix at an overcast Phillip Island circuit. Teammate Valentino Rossi rode a textbook Q1 session to later secure seventh position in Q2.

Phillip Island (Australia), 21st October 2017

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team faced an eventful second day at the Phillip Island circuit, with changing conditions throughout and Valentino Rossi having to take part in Q1, but they confronted the challenge head-on. Maverick Viñales showed great form in Q2, securing second place on the front row. Rossi successfully promoted to Q2 and took seventh place on the grid for tomorrow‘s Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Viñales was quick out of the gates at the start of the 15-minute Q2 heat. His first flying lap of 1‘30.116 saw him very briefly hold eighth place, but he was just getting started. His third attempt saw him climb up to sixth, behind his teammate, but there was yet more in store for him. He headed back to the pit lane for a tyre change with less than seven minutes of the session remaining.

Two minutes later the Spaniard was back out on track and showed he meant business, immediately dropping a 1‘29.146s lap to swap places with teammate Rossi, for fifth place. He kept piling on the pressure on his next lap and briefly secured pole with a 1‘28.719s, before being pushed back to second place, by 0.333s. Thanks to this strong performance, he will start tomorrow‘s race from the first row of the grid.

Rossi had to negotiate his way through Q1 and made it look easy. He was one of the last riders to leave the box to be ensured of some clear track as he fought for a place in Q2. His first flying lap put him in fifth place, but it soon turned out that this was only a dress rehearsal for the 1‘29.665s he posted on his next try, which secured him provisional first place.

Unable to improve on his next attempt, he ended his first run with six and a half minutes remaining. A minute and a half later he checked out of pit lane again to defend his number one spot. With the pace heating up in the final minutes, the Doctor responded by flashing red-helmet times in all sectors and clocking a 1‘29.346s on his last lap to maintain the top position with a 0.359s margin, allowing him to successfully promote to Q2.

The Italian continued where he left off when he started the second qualifying session. He exited the pits as the last rider, hoping to find some clear track again for his qualifying efforts. His second flying lap of 1‘29.260s was enough to put him in fifth position, 0.376s from provisional pole. He made a quick pit stop with eight minutes remaining, before continuing his strong qualifying challenge.

The nine-time World Champion was back out with five minutes left on the clock. He was on the attack once more, but he was unable to better his time on his next lap. He continued pushing and set a 1‘29.203s, improving his time, but he dropped back to sixth place. Not able to make further strides on his last lap he was pushed back to seventh, with a 0.817s margin to first. He will start in tomorrow‘s race from the third row of the grid.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Following a wet morning practice, that gave us good information in case we have a wet race tomorrow, we worked hard over the course of FP4 to find further setting tweaks. We‘ve tried several settings and different tyre options and made a significant step forward before qualifying. Maverick and Vale both gave their 100% as usual. Maverick rode a very strong second run in Q2 and set a 1‘28.719s. That lap earned him second place on the grid, only losing out on securing pole position in the final stages. Vale did exactly what was needed in Q1 and promoted to Q2 without any difficulties. He was quickly on the pace again, but had some issues on the corner entry at the end of the second qualifying session that kept him from securing a position on the first two rows, so he will start from seventh place. The team will continue to work this evening to find further setting variations to offer the riders for warm up tomorrow morning in preparation for the race. There are going to be different key elements that will play a big role in tomorrow‘s GP, including the weather and the tyre choice. We will have to be ready for all possible circumstances.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Honestly, this was a better result than I expected. Especially in FP4 I didn‘t feel so good on the bike. I didn‘t feel as great as I did in the winter tests, because the tyres are different, especially the front. During qualifying, in the second run, I felt good and felt I could push, so I‘m happy about that. We have been struggling a little bit this weekend, but I think we found a way now and we will try to give our best tomorrow. For sure we will be hoping for dry conditions, but we are finding ways of improvement in the wet, so I‘m happy that today‘s practice sessions helped us learn a lot. Tomorrow I‘m going to ride my own race. For sure I will push and apply pressure to my main rivals if I can, and do my best.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Unfortunately I’m not fast like last year. It was already quite good to recover some positions coming through Q1, which is always dangerous. I’m seventh, which is not fantastic, because I was able to ride a quite good lap time very early, but after that I was too much on the limit at the corner entry. I wasn’t able to improve on the last lap to start tomorrow’s race from a top-5 position. We have to work, also because the setting is not fantastic. We have to try to modify something and after that the weather will be very important. We hope that the weather tomorrow at four o’clock will be like today and that we can race with the slicks. We will see.

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

SECOND ROW FOR ANDREA IANNONE IN AUSTRALIA’S QUALIFYING

A stirring qualifying session ended with Andrea Iannone classified in 4th place for tomorrow’s grid at the Australian GP, while teammate Alex Rins narrowly missed going through to the Q2 and classified 13th.

In freezing winds and pouring rain, the morning session saw Iannone struggle to make effective improvements on his GSX-RR, setting his best lap at 1’41.886, only placing 22nd of the whole session. With improvements in the electronics configuration and warmer temperatures, the FP4 session was much more positive for him. With a solid pace, it was at times very similar to yesterday’s FP2. With the guarantee for direct access to Q2 gained from yesterday’s FP2, the Italian made use of the 15 minute session to put in place two effective runs that paid off with a time of 1’28.839, worthy of the 4th place in the grid, only 0.193s behind the first row.

Aiming for a place in the top ten for direct access to Q2, young Alex Rins approached the FP3 session with determination. However, the harsh conditions of the track with wet with pouring rain prevented him from improving on yesterday’s 1’30.085 that set him in 15th place. The whole Q1 session was a hard fought one for him, with two aggressive runs that saw him very close to the top two, being pushed back near the end of classification to 13th place.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“In the end this has been a satisfactory qualifying. Andrea classified in 4th place, which is a good starting spot, and it’s a shame for Alex because he missed the Q2 by very little. I believe they can both run a good race. Andrea is in a better position so I hope this will allow him to keep close to the leading group. Alex is farther behind and will be called upon to make up lost ground, but his pace today was consistent and fast so I think it’s possible. We are hoping for dry conditions that I believe would allow us to have a positive race.”

Andrea Iannone

“We have been working positively in the last races, but we still suffer with many problems. I’m satisfied for today’s result, but at the same time I can’t say we’re getting the results I want. On one hand this disappoints me, but on the other I’m happy because only a few races ago I was very far behind. The progress we’ve made gives me a lot of confidence and this is important. For tomorrow I still have many doubts; I don’t really know what to expect. I know I can be fast in the first part of the race until the tyres get worn, then we will need to see how capable we are of managing the electronics for the tyre consumption and the spin. This will be the key. My pace is good, but we will have to see what happens after the 15th lap.”

Alex Rins

“This is a track that I enjoy a lot. Today we had a good FP4 and Qualifying 1, but unfortunately we couldn’t get into the Q2. During FP4 we tried some things and it seems to work well. Tomorrow we have to make a good start and see about the weather – if it rains or not. In wet conditions, with enough water on track, I think we can do as well as in dry conditions. You can always improve and in my case I’m making steps forward and gaining a better understanding of the bike.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW CONFIDENT DESPITE QUALIFYING SPILL

Cal Crutchlow was disappointed to qualify on the fourth row of the grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, having shown good pace throughout the practice sessions at the Phillip Island circuit. On the day of LCR Honda Team Manager Lucio Cecchinello’s birthday, the Brit had hoped for a better present than tenth place in qualifying, however he feels that his pace could see him make forward progress towards the podium positions.

Crutchlow was a runaway winner at this event last year, and feels that his progress during practice suggests a similar attack could be on the cards in the 27-lap race, but held his hands up to making a simple mistake in the 15-minute qualifying shootout. Running fastest through the first sector, the LCR Honda man was a touch hot into the right-hand hairpin at turn four, but instead of picking the bike up he tried to make the corner and unfortunately went to ground.

Despite the setback, Crutchlow and the LCR Honda Team were in positive spirits ahead of Sunday’s race.

Cal Crutchlow – 10th

(1’29.429 – lap 3 of 5)

“It was a bad day today to qualify tenth at the Australian GP. It’s not good considering the fact that we won here last year. I felt good and felt confident, but I pushed too hard into turn four and lost the front tyre. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to make it back to the pits and go again.

“I’m confident for the race though, it’s just that we have a big job to do from where we have qualified, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s grand prix. We’ll see if we can come up with a plan in the first few laps and be patient, because I don’t think there are many teams or riders that can manage the tyre situation as well as us. So we have to take the positives from today and see if we can be good for tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez throws down the gauntlet with pole at Phillip Island

Points leader takes it by three tenths, with Viñales and Zarco on the front row – and Dovizioso in P11

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will be starting from pole at Phillip Island, as the reigning Champion took back the honour on his final lap after being threatened at the top by Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Motegi polesitter Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who now join the reigning Champion on the front row. Marquez’ key title rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had a tough session, taking P11. Skies were dry, but it remained far from tropical on the Island.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) heads up the second row as one of the key protagonists of the 2015 Island Battle was unleashed in Q2, with Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) another notable performance in P5 – equaling his best ever qualifying result, also gained at Phillip Island last season. Miller is also back on the grid for the first time since breaking his leg in training three weeks ago, making the second row start even more impressive.

Sixth on the grid is yet another stunning display of progress for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing as Pol Espargaro took the marque onto the second row – and in fully dry conditions. Espargaro has a good record at the Island, including the biggest winning margin in Moto2™ history in 2012.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) – the man who led the charge from Q1 – took P7, with Friday’s fastest Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just behind in eighth. Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who followed Rossi through from Q1, will line up ninth – making it all KTM riders in Q2 in the dry for the first time. In 2014, Smith took his first premier class podium at the venue.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) crashed out on a hot lap and was left to complete the top ten, with Andrea Dovizioso just 0.067 seconds behind the Brit. A tough day at the office, ‘DesmoDovi’ will want to replicate his form from the early stages of the Japanese GP, when he moved through from P9 to get in the fight at the front and then take that stunning win. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was P12.

Just left behind in Q1, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will start thirteenth, ahead of Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team). Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) qualified in P16 after a big crash in FP3 – rider ok, but with a sprained left ankle. The Majorcan will be looking to his stunning record at smashing the pain barrier to move forward on Sunday.

It’s Phillip Island, it’s uncertain weather, and it’s 11 points in it. Make sure to watch the rumble Down Under on Sunday, with lights out at the slightly later hour of 16:00 local time (GMT +11).

Pasini steps up for pole Down Under

Fifth Pole for Mattia Pasini this season, but he has never scored on the Island in the intermediate class

Italian strikes at the top of the timesheets when it counts – with three manufacturers on the front row

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) has taken pole position for the Australian GP, taking P1 by only 0.008 seconds from Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter at the front of the field. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took third to make it three chassis on the front row, with teammate Brad Binder lining up in fourth for a best qualifying result so far in Moto2™.

The two title contenders were off the front row, with Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) the first and taking fifth as he lines up to try and push for glory – just ahead of teammate Alex Marquez. Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten), meanwhile, took P10.

Motegi poleman Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was seventh after a moment on his hot lap, ahead of Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) and Jesko Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten).

Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) took eleventh, ahead of Japanese GP podium finisher Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing), Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP), Axel Pons (RW Racing GP) and Simone Corsi (Speed Up), who completed the top fifteen.

19 points down on Morbidelli, Lüthi will be fighting for a lightning start as the Moto2™ race gets underway at 14:20 (GMT +11).

Martin masters the Island for pole number eight

8 poles this season but yet to win a race. Will tomorrow be different?

Spaniard stays on top after rain comes in late – and Mir and Fenati duel it out

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took pole position in the Australian GP, on top by two tenths as the field returned to the pits to wait for a final shootout and then found conditions deteriorate with some light rain. It is the Spaniard’s eighth pole of the year, with Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing) and Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) joining him on the front row.

The weather began dry at Phillip Island before the rain on some parts of the track made it impossible to improve times, and that left some high and dry as the final push for grid positions was abandoned. Mir and Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) protagonised the mid part of the session as the two went wheel to wheel on track in a teaser for what could await the crowds tomorrow, with the Italian lining up only two places behind Mir, taking fifth. The man separating the two to head up the second row is Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team), with Jules Danilo (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) completing Row 2.

Manuel Pagliani (CIP) took seventh to head up the third row ahead of Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders Aron Canet and Enea Bastianini, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) showing more good pace on Saturday to complete the top ten.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), Marco Bezzecchi (CIP), Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing), Lorenzo dalla Porta (Aspar Mahindra Moto3) and Motegi podium finisher Niccolo Antonelli round out the fastest fifteen – with Antonelli’s teammate Bo Bendsneyder another big name to miss out after some great pace all weekend; the Dutchman in 19th.

Now it’s time to race, and with a lot on the line: the 2017 crown. With 55 points over Fenati it’s advantage Mir, but who knows what can happen? The lights go out at 13:00 (GMT +11).