MARC MARQUEZ TAKES PHILLIP ISLAND POLE AFTER QUALIFYING CRASH

Phillip Island’s final Australian Grand Prix weekend began under changing conditions, with rain showers and cooler temperatures arriving on Saturday after a sunny Friday. MotoGP was due to hold FP2, qualifying and the Sprint, with the circuit set to host its last Grand Prix before the event moves to Adelaide’s street circuit in 2027.

The championship fight was finely poised: Jorge Martin led Marc Marquez by two points after Indonesia, with 355 points to Marquez’s 353. Marco Bezzecchi was third, 46 points behind Martin, followed by Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta. Both title contenders missed last year’s Phillip Island round through injury, when Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez gave Aprilia victories in the Sprint and Grand Prix. Marquez returns with a strong record at the circuit, having won there four times in the premier class, including on his only previous Ducati outing, with Gresini in 2024.

Saturday’s qualifying was disrupted by rain, which began falling as Q2 started. Marquez, fastest in final practice, crashed at the Turn 4 hairpin on his first flying lap after losing the front. He was unhurt, recovered his Ducati via the service road and rejoined on his spare bike. Despite the setback, he produced a rapid lap to take provisional pole, then reclaimed the top spot after Johann Zarco briefly moved ahead. Marquez secured pole by 1.5 seconds, with Alex Marquez second and Zarco third.

Jack Miller also made the front row during the changing qualifying order, briefly slotting into second, but ultimately qualified fifth. Jorge Martin starts fourth, while Raul Fernandez is sixth and Bezzecchi ninth. The Sprint grid’s front row is Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Zarco, with Martin, Miller and Fernandez on the second row.

The track was dry as riders headed to the grid, although clouds remained overhead. The Sprint was officially declared a “Dry Race” just as raindrops began to fall. Earlier Saturday rain had helped Marquez in qualifying, while Friday practice had been dominated by Aprilia, which placed four bikes in the top five; the return of dry conditions therefore offered the team a better opportunity, though showers remained possible.

Fernandez, Zarco and Alex Rins are the other current riders with a Phillip Island MotoGP win, each having claimed one. For Australian Miller, the weekend carries added significance: it is his final home MotoGP appearance before he switches to WorldSBK next season.