Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island – Free Practice (4) Results

* Rookie

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)

Ducati and Aprilia dominate the top of the timesheets during final practice for the 2022 Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island with Maverick Vinales fastest from Johann Zarco, rookie Marco Bezzecchi and title contender Francesco Bagnaia.

At one stage there were no Japanese machines in the top seven as the improved weather saw hard tyres, front and especially rear, used by most of the grid for the first time this weekend.

Vinales then put Aprilia on top after a late switch to the mediums, which Joan Mir also used to claim an impressive fifth for Suzuki and break up some of the European machine dominance.

Yamaha’s world championship leader Fabio Quartararo also moved away from the hards (medium front and, surprisingly, a used soft rear) to take a late sixth ahead of Jorge Martin and Vinales’ team-mate Aleix Espargaro.

Alex Marquez became the first faller in the MotoGP class this weekend, sliding off at Siberia.

Qualifying 1, for those outside the top ten after third free practice, including Friday leader Zarco, will now get underway.

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