{"id":4270,"date":"2026-10-22T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4270"},"modified":"2026-10-21T14:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T17:43:29","slug":"what-time-is-motogp-qualifying-at-phillip-island-australian-gp-start-times-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/what-time-is-motogp-qualifying-at-phillip-island-australian-gp-start-times-worldwide\/","title":{"rendered":"What time is MotoGP qualifying at Phillip Island? Australian GP start times worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Australian MotoGP qualifying begins with Q1 at 10:50 AEDT on Saturday, October 24<\/strong>, followed by Q2 at 11:15.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fans in the UK can watch from 00:50 BST, India from 05:20 IST and New Zealand from 12:50 NZDT<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The qualifying results determine the grid for both Saturday&#8217;s 13-lap sprint and Sunday&#8217;s 27-lap Grand Prix<\/strong>, with Mart\u00edn and M\u00e1rquez separated by two championship points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Qualifying for the 2026 Australian MotoGP Grand Prix begins at 10:50 local time at Phillip Island on Saturday, October 24<\/strong>, with the opening Q1 session followed by Q2 at 11:15 as Jorge Mart\u00edn, Marc M\u00e1rquez and their rivals fight for pole position at the circuit&#8217;s final scheduled premier-class Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first qualifying session begins at <strong>00:50 BST in the United Kingdom, 05:20 IST in India and 12:50 NZDT in New Zealand<\/strong>. American fans will need to tune in on Friday evening, with Q1 starting at 19:50 Eastern and 16:50 Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results will determine the starting grid for both Saturday&#8217;s sprint and Sunday&#8217;s main race. That makes qualifying particularly important for Mart\u00edn and M\u00e1rquez, who arrive in Australia separated by just two points in the 2026 Riders&#8217; Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is Australian MotoGP qualifying worldwide?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first qualifying session, Q1, begins at 10:50 AEDT on Saturday, October 24, equivalent to 23:50 UTC on Friday, October 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Q2 follows 25 minutes later, at 11:15 AEDT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Country \/ City<\/th><th>Local date<\/th><th>Q1 start<\/th><th>Q2 start<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Australia \u2014 Melbourne \/ Sydney (AEDT)<\/strong><\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td><strong>10:50<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>11:15<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Adelaide (ACDT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>10:20<\/td><td>10:45<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Brisbane (AEST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>09:50<\/td><td>10:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Perth (AWST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>07:50<\/td><td>08:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>New Zealand \u2014 Auckland (NZDT)<\/strong><\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td><strong>12:50<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>13:15<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United Kingdom \u2014 London (BST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td><strong>00:50<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>01:15<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ireland \u2014 Dublin (IST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>00:50<\/td><td>01:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>India \u2014 New Delhi (IST)<\/strong><\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td><strong>05:20<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>05:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 New York (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>19:50<\/td><td>20:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Chicago (CDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>18:50<\/td><td>19:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Los Angeles (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>16:50<\/td><td>17:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Toronto (EDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>19:50<\/td><td>20:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada \u2014 Vancouver (PDT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>16:50<\/td><td>17:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Brazil \u2014 Bras\u00edlia (BRT)<\/td><td>Fri, Oct 23<\/td><td>20:50<\/td><td>21:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>South Africa \u2014 Johannesburg (SAST)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>01:50<\/td><td>02:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singapore (SGT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>07:50<\/td><td>08:15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Malaysia \u2014 Kuala Lumpur (MYT)<\/td><td>Sat, Oct 24<\/td><td>07:50<\/td><td>08:15<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Times refer to the scheduled start of each qualifying session. The United Kingdom remains on BST on Saturday and changes to GMT early on Sunday, October 25.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does MotoGP qualifying work at Phillip Island?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MotoGP uses a two-stage qualifying system, with riders initially divided according to their performances in Friday afternoon&#8217;s Practice session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ten fastest riders from Friday Practice advance directly to Q2, avoiding the opening qualifying session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The remaining riders must participate in Q1, with the two fastest earning the final places in Q2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That creates a 12-rider contest for pole position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Session<\/th><th>Phillip Island time<\/th><th>Duration<\/th><th>Purpose<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Q1<\/td><td>Saturday, 10:50 AEDT<\/td><td>15 minutes<\/td><td>Top two advance to Q2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Q2<\/td><td>Saturday, 11:15 AEDT<\/td><td>15 minutes<\/td><td>Determines top 12 grid positions<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Riders eliminated in Q1 occupy the positions from 13th onwards, based on their qualifying lap times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same qualifying classification establishes the grid for the sprint and Sunday&#8217;s Grand Prix, although penalties can affect the final starting order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because Phillip Island is a fast circuit with limited opportunities to recover lost time in traffic, qualifying performance can have a significant effect on race strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mart\u00edn and M\u00e1rquez separated by two points before qualifying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 championship arrives at Phillip Island with Jorge Mart\u00edn leading Marc M\u00e1rquez by just two points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marco Bezzecchi remains third, 46 points behind Mart\u00edn, following his victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Position<\/th><th>Rider<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Points<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Gap<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>J. MART\u00cdN<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>355<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">\u2014<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>M. M\u00c1RQUEZ<\/td><td>Ducati<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">353<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">-2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>M. BEZZECCHI<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">309<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">-46<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The narrow difference between the leading riders means Saturday&#8217;s sprint could change the championship order before the main race begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A sprint victory awards 12 points, while second place is worth nine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">M\u00e1rquez could therefore overtake Mart\u00edn by winning the sprint if the championship leader finishes second or lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/motogp-2026-title-permutations-what-martin-marquez-and-bezzecchi-need-in-australia\/\">complete MotoGP title permutations for Phillip Island<\/a> explain the different combinations that could change the championship standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qualifying could become decisive because starting from the front row would help either rider avoid traffic and reduce the risk of incidents during the opening laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bezzecchi also needs a strong qualifying performance to maximise his opportunity to recover points during the final five rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Phillip Island qualifying is different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phillip Island is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits on the MotoGP calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 4.448km layout features long, flowing corners, significant elevation changes and exposed coastal sections where strong winds can affect motorcycle stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first sector includes the fast Doohan Corner and Southern Loop, while the middle part of the lap requires precise changes of direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final corners place considerable demands on rear-tyre grip as riders accelerate towards the main straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wind direction can change quickly, creating differences between consecutive laps even when riders use similar tyre configurations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those conditions make it particularly important to choose the correct moment to attempt a qualifying lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rider who encounters traffic or changing wind conditions during a short 15-minute session may have limited opportunities to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The circuit&#8217;s characteristics have also contributed to memorable qualifying performances and close battles for pole position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/phillip-islands-final-motogp-5-records-marquez-and-rivals-can-chase-before-adelaide-takes-over\/\">Phillip Island&#8217;s final MotoGP weekend offers five historical records and milestones<\/a>, including qualifying achievements that could become part of the venue&#8217;s lasting legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is the Australian MotoGP sprint after qualifying?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saturday&#8217;s sprint is scheduled to begin at <strong>15:00 AEDT<\/strong>, approximately three hours and 45 minutes after Q2 starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race will cover 13 laps and award points to the first nine finishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Market<\/th><th>Sprint start<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Australia \u2014 Melbourne \/ Sydney<\/td><td>Saturday, 15:00 AEDT<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand \u2014 Auckland<\/td><td>Saturday, 17:00 NZDT<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United Kingdom \u2014 London<\/td><td>Saturday, 05:00 BST<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>India \u2014 New Delhi<\/td><td>Saturday, 09:30 IST<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 New York<\/td><td>Saturday, 00:00 EDT<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States \u2014 Los Angeles<\/td><td>Friday, 21:00 PDT<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Brazil \u2014 Bras\u00edlia<\/td><td>Saturday, 01:00 BRT<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/what-time-is-the-motogp-sprint-at-phillip-island-australian-gp-schedule-worldwide\/\">full Australian MotoGP sprint guide<\/a> includes the complete international schedule and explains how the shorter race could affect the championship battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can fans watch Australian MotoGP qualifying?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The qualifying sessions will be available through the championship&#8217;s official broadcasters and streaming partners, subject to local rights and subscription arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Market<\/th><th>Broadcast \/ streaming<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Australia<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Fox Sports \/ Foxtel \/ Kayo Sports<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United Kingdom<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>TNT Sports \/ HBO Max<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>India<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>FanCode<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New Zealand<\/td><td>Sky Sport<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States<\/td><td>Authorised local broadcaster \/ MotoGP VideoPass<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada<\/td><td>Authorised local broadcaster \/ MotoGP VideoPass<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Network 10 is providing free-to-air coverage of selected parts of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, but viewers should check the channel&#8217;s specific qualifying schedule rather than assume that every session is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/where-to-watch-the-final-phillip-island-motogp-live-in-australia-uk-and-india\/\">complete Phillip Island viewing guide<\/a> provides further information about television and streaming availability in the main international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is Sunday&#8217;s Australian MotoGP race?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main Grand Prix is scheduled for <strong>Sunday, October 25, at 14:00 AEDT<\/strong>, covering 27 laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race begins at 16:00 in New Zealand, 08:30 in India and 03:00 GMT in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/what-time-is-the-australian-motogp-race-phillip-island-start-times-worldwide\/\">complete Australian MotoGP race-time guide<\/a> includes international conversions and the weekend&#8217;s key sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event will be Phillip Island&#8217;s final scheduled MotoGP Grand Prix before the Australian round relocates to Adelaide in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The farewell weekend will feature celebrations involving Casey Stoner, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner, recognising the circuit&#8217;s contribution to Australian motorcycle racing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MotoGP qualifying at Phillip Island begins at 10:50 local time on Saturday, October 24, with Mart\u00edn and M\u00e1rquez fighting for pole position and the starting grid for the circuit&#8217;s final Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001024832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"MotoGP in Australia","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Honda","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":140,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[38],"tags":[186,104,570,672],"42wp_author":[140],"class_list":["post-4270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp","tag-australian-gp","tag-marc-marquez","tag-motogp-qualifying","tag-phillip-island","42wp_author-kaio-esteves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4270"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4271,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4270\/revisions\/4271"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1001024832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4270"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}