French rider Johann Zarco on the Ducati Desmosedici GP22 continued to dominate early action as MotoGP moved into the Australian Grand Prix weekend at Phillip Island. The first practice session featured Italian Marco Bezzecchi on the GP22 and Spanish rider Pol Espargaró riding the Repsol Honda RC 213 V among the leading contenders.
Spain’s Marc Márquez quickly set the pace, and Zarco followed that early effort with a 1:30.126 time without relying on any aerodynamic upgrades. He faced pressure from compatriot Maverick Viñales on the Aprilia RS-GP and world championship leader Fabio Quartararo on the Yamaha YZR M1, yet the session did not produce a definitive break. In the running order, the morning showed a clear trio at the front with Zarco, Australia’s Jack Miller on the Ducati, and Spaniard Alex Márquez on the Honda RC 213 V, all mixing it up for top positions. Aleix Espargaró, in his pursuit of another strong result, improved his best by a few thousandths but settled ninth behind Jorge Martín on the Ducati GP22.
Adjacent, alongside Aleix Espargaró, the scene captured a moment of ongoing tension and excitement in the paddock. A social post from DAZN Spain noted how close the action appeared to spectators, highlighting the tight margins among the front runners and the distant roar of the crowd during the early laps.
Work in the workshop pits was intense. Riders and engineers kept adjusting bike parameters to shave fractions off lap times and to gauge tire wear ahead of a race known for punishing tires. The early pace signals suggested teams were prioritizing tire management alongside outright speed, a balance that will matter in the race conditions forecast for the weekend.
As the session drew to a close, Márquez could not repeat his earlier pace, but Quartararo, Viñales, Zarco and Bezzecchi all posted better times, leaving Márquez trailing by a narrow margin of a few tenths. He waited for his moment, and with under two minutes remaining, he slipped to third place, just 0.030 seconds behind the leading Aprilia effort.
The looming possibility of rain on Sunday pushed many riders to take their last-minute chances to secure a strong classification, even if it meant pushing aggressively at the end. Zarco again topped the charts at the close, while Espargaró and Bezzecchi remained close behind, ahead of the defending championship leader Quartararo. The field also saw a strong push from Pecco Bagnaia on the Ducati, with the Italian rider just behind Quartararo in the pecking order.
In a broad snapshot of the midpack and the fight for a top-grid position, Maverick Viñales finished fifth, with Márquez and Aleix Espargaró less than four tenths behind Zarco’s best effort. Cal Crutchlow on a Yamaha completed a notable performance for a rider with extensive World Championship experience. The Yamahas and Ducatis occupied the upper bands of the times, while the factory and satellite teams jockeyed for position just behind the top five or six. The second-tier bikes from Borgo Panigale also showed strong pace, occupying several of the top ten slots as the session progressed. Meantime, Joan Mir, returning from a right foot injury, recovered from the morning to a solid mid-pack position, with Alex Márquez and Alex Rins nearby as the session concluded.
The social feeds at the time captured the drama of the morning: a playful nod to the close margins and the camaraderie of the grid, with video posts highlighting the tense moments when riders pushed their limit.
THIRD and shaking off pressure, the dialogue among teams suggested a strong appetite to enjoy the closing stages of the championship and to push for the best possible result in this Australian round. The weekend’s narrative was already turning into a tight battle among the world’s best as the championship arc continued to unfold in front of a capacity Phillip Island crowd.
Dixon sets the standard in Moto 2
British rider Jake Dixon on a Kalex set the tone to finish the opening day of Moto2 practice at Phillip Island, with the world standings leader Augusto Fernández in hot pursuit. Spaniard Fermín Aldeguer and Alonso López trailed in the pack, while Ai Ogura faced a tougher rhythm early on. Dixon nailed a best of 1:33.767 to lead the way, with Fernández and Ogura in the mix behind him.
A quick crash involving Chantra added to the drama of the day, though the rider escaped without serious injury and returned to the pits. In the closing stages, the field tightened, and while a handful of defections remained, the main chase saw multiple riders dipping into the sub-1:34 corridor, signaling a compact fight for pole and a strong Sunday showing.
Ultimately, Dixon held strong as the top performer in Moto2, edging out a cluster of rivals including Joe Roberts, Sam Lowes, and Arón Canet, who traded places as the session progressed. The field saw some challenges in the pits, with Arenas dealing with a temporary brake issue that briefly interrupted his rhythm, while Filip Salač and a few others worked to improve their morning times. The result left the door open for a dramatic second day as the riders prepared to refine setups and push for crucial lap gains.
It was a day that also underscored the relentless pace of the Moto2 grid, with each rider chasing a small improvement that could translate into a critical advantage when the pressure mounts on Sunday.
Sasaki finishes the day ahead of Suzuki in Moto3
Ayumu Sasaki on the Husqvarna led the Moto3 standings after the opening Australian Grand Prix practice in Phillip Island, beating Tatsuki Suzuki on the Honda and Diogo Moreira on the KTM. Izan Guevara on the GasGas finished the morning with strong pace, placing among the top four as the title contenders began to gauge Sunday’s potential.
Diogo Moreira, who had set the pace early in the morning, was still quickest in the early stretch of the second session before Sasaki surged to top honors with a 1:37.797. Suzuki, who had led most of the earlier timings, dropped to a solid second behind the Japanese rider, while Moreira slipped to third as the day progressed. Guevara remained in the hunt, finishing ahead of Sergio García Dols and Dennis Foggia, who stood as the main challengers in the broader world title chase.
The day closed with a sense that Sunday could deliver a dramatic race in Moto3, as the top contenders looked to capitalize on the evolving track conditions and the varying tire strategies that have long defined Phillip Island.
Across all three classes, the opening practice sessions painted a picture of a season that remains intensely competitive, with every marginal gain and every weather cue shaping the course of a weekend that fans eagerly follow across the globe.