Márquez overcomes crash to snatch pole in wet Phillip Island qualifying as Martín struggles

News Summary

• Marc Márquez claimed pole position at Phillip Island after recovering from a crash during a rain-affected qualifying session.
• Marco Bezzecchi qualified second for Aprilia, with Pedro Acosta completing the front row for KTM.
• Championship leader Jorge Martín qualified seventh, leaving him behind Márquez and Bezzecchi for both the sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Marc Márquez secured pole position for the 2026 Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Saturday, recovering from a crash to defeat Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta in a wet qualifying session. The Ducati rider took advantage of difficult conditions to strengthen his position in the championship battle against Jorge Martín, who qualified seventh on the factory Aprilia.

Heavy rain transformed the circuit after Friday’s dry running, forcing the riders to adapt to substantially different levels of grip. Márquez immediately demonstrated his pace in the conditions, dominating the final free practice session before qualifying began.

The Spaniard carried that performance into Q2, setting the early pace and responding when his rivals attempted to challenge him.

Bezzecchi secured second place on the Aprilia, while Acosta completed the front row for KTM. Fabio Di Giannantonio qualified fourth, ahead of Álex Márquez and home favourite Jack Miller.

Martín ended the session seventh, followed by Brad Binder and Francesco Bagnaia among the leading riders in the closing stages.

Márquez recovers from crash to secure Phillip Island pole

Saturday’s conditions were markedly different from those encountered during the opening day.

Márquez had led FP1 on Friday with a 1:27.985 before Bezzecchi established the fastest time in the afternoon’s decisive Practice session.

However, rain arrived at Phillip Island overnight, leaving the track wet for Saturday’s activities.

The Ducati rider immediately adapted, producing a 1:37.112 during FP2 to finish 0.823s ahead of Acosta.

Martín was third, more than a second behind, with Bezzecchi fourth.

Those results established Márquez as one of the strongest contenders for pole position despite the Aprilias having dominated Friday’s dry conditions.

During Q2, the Ducati rider recovered from a fall and returned to the fight for the fastest lap.

Márquez regained the lead with a 1:38.676 during the session, establishing a substantial advantage over his nearest rivals at that stage.

Bezzecchi subsequently improved, reducing the gap, but the Italian could not prevent Márquez from securing pole position.

The result gives the Spaniard the best starting position for Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi keeps Aprilia on front row as Acosta impresses

Bezzecchi maintained his strong form by securing second place, continuing a competitive Australian Grand Prix weekend for Aprilia.

The Italian arrived at Phillip Island after winning the Indonesian Grand Prix and reducing his deficit to the championship leaders.

He led Friday Practice with a 1:26.775, defeating Raúl Fernández by 0.072s, while Aprilia placed four motorcycles inside the top five.

The arrival of rain changed the competitive order, particularly as Márquez demonstrated stronger pace during Saturday’s wet running.

Bezzecchi nevertheless secured a front-row position and will start ahead of his championship-leading teammate Martín.

Acosta was another standout performer, taking third place for KTM.

The Spaniard had finished second during FP2 and maintained that competitiveness in qualifying, securing a place alongside Márquez and Bezzecchi on the front row.

Di Giannantonio qualified fourth for VR46 Ducati, while Álex Márquez completed the top five.

Miller secured sixth for Pramac Yamaha, giving the Australian a second-row start at his final scheduled MotoGP weekend at Phillip Island.

Martín faces recovery from seventh as MotoGP title fight intensifies

Martín enters the Australian Grand Prix holding a two-point advantage over Marc Márquez in the Riders’ Championship.

The Aprilia rider finished seventh in FP1 and fifth during Friday Practice, securing direct entry into Q2 but struggling to match the fastest laps produced by his principal rivals.

He acknowledged after Friday’s running that he was still adapting to the circuit and needed to improve his speed.

“It was a positive day. I didn’t race here last year, so this morning I was pushing the front tyre hard,” Martín explained.

The Spaniard reported that his confidence improved as the opening day progressed.

“I’m still missing a bit of speed, but my pace is consistent, and towards the end of the day I was getting quicker and quicker.”

Saturday’s wet conditions presented a different challenge.

Although Martín remained competitive during FP2, finishing third, he was unable to reproduce that position in qualifying.

His seventh-place result places him on the third row, behind both Márquez and Bezzecchi.

The starting position could become particularly important during the 13-lap sprint, where the shorter distance leaves less time to recover lost positions.

Márquez has an opportunity to overturn the two-point championship deficit before Sunday’s Grand Prix, depending on their respective sprint results.

Miller secures second row as Bagnaia struggles with Ducati

Miller also benefited from the changing conditions.

The Australian had finished third in FP1 before dropping to 12th during Practice, forcing him to take part in Q1.

The Pramac rider recovered to reach Q2 and secured sixth place, earning a second-row start at his final MotoGP weekend at Phillip Island before the Australian Grand Prix moves to Adelaide in 2027.

Bagnaia also faced a difficult route through qualifying.

The factory Ducati rider had finished only 14th during Friday Practice, almost a second behind Bezzecchi, and was required to compete in Q1.

The Italian encountered technical difficulties during Saturday’s running but continued his participation in qualifying.

His performance remained below that of teammate Márquez, who secured pole position despite his own incident.

The contrast continues a difficult Australian weekend for Bagnaia, who had struggled to find competitive pace in both Friday sessions.

Australian MotoGP 2026 — Full qualifying results

When is the Australian MotoGP sprint?

The Australian MotoGP sprint takes place later on Saturday, October 24, at 15:00 local time in Phillip Island.

The 13-lap race awards championship points to the first nine finishers and will provide the first opportunity for Martín and Márquez to change their positions in the title standings.

The main Australian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, October 25, with Phillip Island hosting its final scheduled MotoGP round before the championship moves to Adelaide in 2027.

The complete Australian MotoGP schedule and international start times provide information about the remaining sessions.

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.