Bezzecchi survives crash and wallaby interruption as Aprilia dominates Phillip Island Practice

News Summary

• Marco Bezzecchi led Practice at Phillip Island with a 1:26.775, beating Raúl Fernández by 0.072 seconds and Marc Márquez by 0.126s.
• Aprilia placed four motorcycles inside the top five, with Fernández second, Ai Ogura fourth and Jorge Martín fifth.
• Francesco Bagnaia, Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo failed to qualify directly for Q2, while two red flags interrupted the session.

Marco Bezzecchi topped Friday’s decisive Practice session for the 2026 Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island, setting a 1:26.775 to beat Raúl Fernández by just 0.072 seconds. The Italian recovered from an early collision with Álex Márquez and a subsequent crash to secure the fastest lap as Aprilia placed four motorcycles inside the top five.

Fernández finished second on the Trackhouse Aprilia with a 1:26.847, followed by Marc Márquez, who led the opening free practice session earlier in the day. The factory Ducati rider posted a 1:26.901, exactly the same time as Ai Ogura, who was classified fourth.

Championship leader Jorge Martín completed the top five, 0.255s behind his Aprilia teammate. Álex Márquez was sixth for Gresini, followed by Enea Bastianini, Pedro Acosta, Diogo Moreira and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

The ten fastest riders secured direct entry into Saturday’s Q2. Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo were among those who failed to qualify automatically, leaving them needing to finish inside the top two in Q1 to advance.

Bezzecchi recovers from crash to beat Fernández

The hour-long Practice session began in warm conditions, with an air temperature of approximately 29°C and the track reaching 47°C.

Marc Márquez established the early pace with a 1:28.209, taking over the lead after Bezzecchi, Johann Zarco and other riders briefly occupied first place.

However, the session was interrupted when Bezzecchi made contact with the rear of Álex Márquez’s Gresini Ducati near Turn 4.

The impact damaged the Aprilia’s fairing and sent debris across the track before Bezzecchi lost control and crashed. Officials stopped the session with a red flag to clear the debris.

The Italian returned to the garage and subsequently resumed running.

After the restart, Martín moved to the top with a 1:27.902, while Acosta, Marc Márquez and Álex Márquez continued improving.

A second red flag interrupted the action when a young wallaby entered the circuit. The animal crossed the racing surface, forcing race control to suspend the session until the track was clear.

Once the session resumed, Marc Márquez moved back into first place, only for Bezzecchi to respond with a 1:27.374.

Acosta then briefly led with a 1:27.208 before the final time attacks began.

In the closing ten minutes, Marc Márquez became the first rider to break the 1min27s barrier, setting a 1:26.901.

Fernández improved to 1:26.847, but Bezzecchi delivered the decisive lap of 1:26.775 to secure first place.

The result continued the Italian’s strong form following his victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

Aprilia dominates Phillip Island with four bikes in top five

Aprilia was the strongest manufacturer during Friday afternoon’s session, taking first, second, fourth and fifth places.

Bezzecchi led the classification, while Fernández demonstrated the competitiveness of the Trackhouse RS-GP by finishing only 0.072s behind.

Ogura matched Marc Márquez’s time to the thousandth of a second but was classified fourth. Martín completed the Aprilia quartet in fifth.

The result gave Aprilia four riders directly through to Q2 and established the manufacturer among the main contenders for pole position.

Fernández had also finished second during FP1, making him one of the most consistently competitive riders throughout Friday.

The Spaniard won the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and has previously demonstrated strong pace around Phillip Island’s fast, flowing layout.

Ogura’s fourth place also strengthened Trackhouse’s position, with both of the American team’s riders inside the top four.

Martín remained close to the front despite not matching Bezzecchi’s final lap.

The championship leader was 0.255s behind his teammate and 0.129s slower than Marc Márquez.

Martín and Márquez continue close MotoGP title fight

The Australian Grand Prix arrives with the championship battle finely balanced.

Martín leads Marc Márquez by just two points, while Bezzecchi remains third, 46 points behind his teammate.

Friday’s sessions provided an early comparison between the title contenders.

Márquez was fastest in FP1, but Bezzecchi took over in Practice, while Martín remained among the leading riders throughout the afternoon.

In the decisive session, the three finished first, third and fifth respectively.

The results carry particular significance because the championship is entering its final five rounds, with Australia followed by Malaysia and the remaining Asian and Middle Eastern events.

The battle will continue during Saturday’s qualifying sessions, which determine the starting positions for both the sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi’s position also follows his victory in Indonesia, which reduced his deficit to the championship leaders.

With all three title contenders advancing directly to Q2, none will need to take part in the opening qualifying segment.

Bagnaia, Miller and Quartararo face Q1 at Phillip Island

Several experienced riders struggled to secure the single-lap pace required for direct entry into Q2.

Bagnaia finished 14th for the factory Ducati team with a 1:27.727, placing him 0.952s behind Bezzecchi.

The Italian had also struggled during FP1, finishing 18th, and was unable to find enough improvement to reach the top ten.

Miller experienced a more dramatic change in fortunes between the two Friday sessions.

The Australian had finished third in FP1, despite crashing at Doohan Corner, and briefly led the opening session before Márquez and Fernández improved.

In Practice, however, the Pramac Yamaha rider could manage only 12th with a 1:27.598, leaving him 0.823s off the fastest time.

Miller therefore faces Q1 at his final MotoGP appearance at Phillip Island before the Australian Grand Prix moves to Adelaide in 2027.

Quartararo also failed to progress directly, finishing 15th on the factory Yamaha with a 1:27.826.

The Frenchman was 1.051s behind Bezzecchi and will have to compete against Bagnaia, Miller, Brad Binder and Johann Zarco for the two remaining places in Q2.

Zarco narrowly missed the top ten, ending the session 11th with a 1:27.557, only 0.026s behind Di Giannantonio.

Australian MotoGP 2026 Practice results — full classification

The top ten riders qualified directly for Q2. Positions 11–20 must contest Q1, with the two fastest riders progressing. Luca Marini did not participate in the session due to illness.

What time is Australian MotoGP qualifying and the sprint?

MotoGP returns to Phillip Island on Saturday, October 24, with FP2 followed by Q1 and Q2. The sprint takes place later in the afternoon.

Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix begins at 14:00 local time.

For the complete international timetable, see the Australian MotoGP 2026 schedule and start times.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its MotoGP section.