Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island – Free Practice (2) Results

* Rookie

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

Official Phillip Island MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 28.108s (2013)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 27.899s (2013)

Johann Zarco completes a Friday practice double for the 2022 Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island.

After a dry opening practice led by Zarco and home hero Jack Miller, a rain shower passed over the seaside circuit but the asphalt was dry again for the start of FP2.

2019 winner Marc Marquez, who has a range of new aero parts for his Repsol Honda, and Yamaha’s world championship leader Fabio Quartararo had been ranked 7th and 12th respectively this morning but fastest of those that had elected not to fit new tyres in the final minutes.

• Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island – Free Practice (1) Results

Marquez then beat Zarco’s 1m 30.368s FP1 time early in the afternoon, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales – another former Phillip Island winner – and Quartararo a close match for the #93.

The eight-time world champion was one of the few to run the hard front tyre this afternoon, with medium compounds front and rear the popular pick.

Marquez, Vinales, Quartararo and Zarco (from FP1) were still ruling the timesheets when new soft rear tyres signalled time attacks in search of a top ten place, ahead of what is forecast to be a chilly FP3 on Saturday morning.

Vinales promptly took his new tyre to the top before Quartararo ducked 0.131s under his former team-mate. VR46 rookie Marco Bezzecchi then made a brief appearance in P1, with Pol Espargaro climbing to second, before Zarco – after a quiet session – suddenly returned his Pramac machine to the head of the timesheets.

While Quartararo soared near the front throughout, nearest title rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro (who had a near miss with a wallaby in FP1) were at the lower end of the top ten prior to fitting new tyres, after which their positions improved slightly to eighth and seventh respectively.

Miller slipped to 13th this afternoon, although only 0.546s from Zarco, with fellow home rider Remy Gardner in 22nd place.

MotoGP begins a three-race title showdown with Yamaha’s reigning champion Fabio Quartararo and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia separated by just two points heading into Phillip Island.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro also gained ground on Quartararo in Buriram to sit 20-points drift, with Enea Bastianini (-39) and home star Jack Miller (-40) – the highest scoring rider in the last three races – also still in world championship contention.

After roller-coaster fortunes for the top three in recent rounds, the Phillip Island weather could throw up yet more turmoil during what is the first Australian MotoGP since 2019, due to previous covid restrictions.

Joan Mir is back for Suzuki, while Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow returns to the scene of his 2016 victory as he starts the second half of an unexpected MotoGP return at RNF.

Takaaki Nakagami remains absent after needing a skin graft on his injured hand, with countryman and Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima again taking his place at LCR Honda.

As with the other end of season ‘flyaways’, absent since 2019, ten of the full time riders have no prior MotoGP experience at Phillip Island: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

2022 Australia MotoGP – Full race weekend schedule (UK time)

Thursday 12th/Friday 13th October

23:00 – 23:40pm (Thu) Moto3 FP1

23:55 – 00:40am (Thu/Fri) MotoGP FP1

00:55 – 01:35am (Fri) Moto2 FP1

03:15 – 03:55am (Fri) Moto3 FP2

04:10 – 04:55am (Fri) MotoGP FP2

05:10 – 05:50am (Fri) Moto2 FP2

Friday 13th/Saturday 14th October

23:00 – 23:40pm (Fri) Moto3 FP3

23:55 – 00:40am (Fri/Sat) MotoGP FP3

00:55 – 01:35am (Sat) Moto2 FP3 

02:35 – 02:50am (Sat) Moto3 Q1

03:00 – 03:15am (Sat) Moto3 Q2

03:30 – 04:00am (Sat) MotoGP FP4

04:10 – 04:25am (Sat) MotoGP Q1

04:35 – 04:50am (Sat) MotoGP Q2

05:10 – 05:25am (Sat) Moto2 Q1

05:35 – 05:50am (Sat) Moto2 Q2

Saturday 14th/Sunday 15th October

23:00 – 23:10pm (Sat) Moto3 Warm Up

23:20 – 23:30pm (Sat) Moto2 Warm Up

23:40 – 00:00pm (Sat) MotoGP Warm Up

01:00am (Sun) Moto3 Race

02:20am (Sun) Moto2 Race

04:00am (Sun) MotoGP Race