News Summary
- A wallaby entered the Phillip Island circuit during Australian MotoGP Practice on Friday (October 23), prompting race control to display a red flag.
- The interruption came shortly after an earlier stoppage caused by Marco Bezzecchi’s collision with Álex Márquez at Turn 4.
- Practice eventually resumed, with Bezzecchi leading an Aprilia-dominated session ahead of Raúl Fernández and Marc Márquez.
A kangaroo brought Australian MotoGP Practice to a halt at Phillip Island on Friday (October 23), after entering the circuit while riders were on track. Race control displayed the red flag and suspended the session as officials worked to ensure that the animal was no longer in danger.
The unexpected visitor was spotted moving alongside the racing surface after getting inside the circuit barriers. Images of the animal quickly attracted attention during the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
The interruption occurred during the afternoon Practice session, which determines the ten riders who advance directly to Q2 on Saturday.
It was the second red flag of the session, following a crash involving Marco Bezzecchi and Álex Márquez earlier in the afternoon.
Wallaby brings MotoGP Practice to a sudden halt
The incident happened after the session had resumed following the earlier accident at Turn 4.
With the riders returning to the circuit and attempting to improve their lap times, a wallaby was spotted inside the track area.
The animal was seen hopping near the racing surface, prompting officials to suspend the action.
Phillip Island is surrounded by natural habitats and is known for wildlife occasionally appearing near the circuit.
The Australian venue has previously experienced interruptions involving local animals, including birds and wallabies, particularly during practice sessions.
On this occasion, race control displayed the red flag while the track was checked.
The session subsequently resumed once conditions were considered safe. There were no reported collisions between the wallaby and any motorcycles.
Bezzecchi tops disrupted session as Aprilia dominates
Once the track reopened, the riders resumed their attempts to secure direct qualification for Q2.
Bezzecchi eventually recorded a 1:26.775, beating Trackhouse rider Raúl Fernández by just 0.072 seconds.
Marc Márquez, who had topped FP1 earlier in the day, finished third with a 1:26.901, followed by Ai Ogura and championship leader Jorge Martín.
Aprilia therefore placed four motorcycles among the five fastest.
The full results and the riders advancing directly to Q2 are covered in the Australian MotoGP schedule and start times guide.
The session also saw several established riders miss direct qualification, including Francesco Bagnaia, Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo.
They will need to compete in Q1 on Saturday, with only two riders advancing to the final qualifying session.
Phillip Island prepares for final MotoGP weekend
The unusual interruption came during Phillip Island’s final scheduled MotoGP weekend.
The Australian Grand Prix will move to Adelaide in 2027, ending the circuit’s current uninterrupted run as host of the championship’s Australian round.
The departure has prompted criticism from several leading figures in motorcycle racing, including two-time world champion Casey Stoner.
Stoner accused the Victorian Government of failing to provide adequate support for the event and questioned its priorities compared with Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
His comments were made in an interview with the Herald Sun, as detailed in Stoner’s criticism of Victoria over Phillip Island’s MotoGP departure.
MotoGP returns to the circuit on Saturday for FP2, qualifying and the sprint, followed by the main Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
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.
