MotoGP: Martin takes Australian GP pole after breaking lap record
Jorge Martin set an all-time lap record to take MotoGP pole in Australian GP from Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
Q1:
The first part in MotoGP qualifying in Australian GP at Philip Island started with a multiple yellow flag periods for a rider’s run-off moment. In terms of the lap times, Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini set the pace after their first flyer in the first run.
The second lap saw Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco take top spot from Bastianini with a 1m28.498s lap. The second run had Honda’s Pol Espargaro go quickest with a 1m28.392s lap, with Suzuki’s Joan Mir taking second spot as Zarco was third.
Mir had a moment on the gravel to cause a yellow flag but continued on, as Zarco ended up fastest with a 1m28.132s lap to make it into Q2 alongside Suzuki’s Alex Rins, who set the second best time out of nowhere on his final attempt to push Espargaro.
In fact, Bastianini was third to start MotoGP Australian GP in 13th where he was under investigation alongwith KTM’s Miguel Oliveira by the FIM stewards. It was for the final lap impeding situation from the Portuguese rider against the Italian.
Espargaro eventually was fourth to start from 14th with Mir 15th ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder, RNF Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow & Darryn Binder. The pair dropped local ‘hero’ Remy Gardner to 19th onboard his Tech 3 KTM machine.
Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio was 20th from KTM’s Oliveira, with Tech 3’s Raul Fernandez in 22nd, Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli only 23rd and LCR Honda’s Tetsuta Nagashima 24th – the Japanese filling in for the injured Takaaki Nakagami.
Q2:
The second part in MotoGP qualifying in Australian GP saw Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia set the pace with a 1m28.054s lap from Pramac’s Jorge Martin and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, as Honda’s Marc Marquez had an almost wild moment at Turn 10.
His arm touched the kerb and he needed a moment to gather himself up before entering the pits while in fifth behind VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi. The final run saw Pramac’s Martin break an all-time lap record of Jorge Lorenzo to claim MotoGP pole.
Martin set a 1m27.767s to take Australian GP pole from Honda’s Marquez, who fought back after an early moment to be second from Bagnaia. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro rode his heart out in fourth from Yamaha’s Quartararo in the Top 5.
Zarco was sixth from VR46’s Luca Marini as local rider Jack Miller was only eighth on his Ducati, with Bezzecchi losing time in ninth from LCR’s Alex Marquez, Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales and Suzuki’s Rins in the Top 12.
