The duel for the 2023 MotoGP world champion crown is heating up more and more, with the two contenders both starting from the front row today in the Australian Grand Prix, brought forward to Saturday due to the great risk of bad weather forecast for Sunday .
Jorge Martin confirmed his great moment of form also at Phillip Island, showing off a sensational pole position: with a time of 1’27″246, the Prima Pramac Racing rider literally shattered the previous record of the Australian track, which he had already he had belonged since last year, but above all he took over four tenths from everyone else. For the Madrid native, this is the 12th pole of his career, which is also the 12th in a row for a Ducati.
Compared to Mandalika, however, this time the world leader Pecco Bagnaia also had a good time, not allowing himself to be influenced by having to face Q1. The Ducati rider was the fastest in the first segment and then in the decisive one he took the third time, albeit with a delay of 468 thousandths from “Martinator”, but he did not let himself be influenced by the riders who were looking for his ” hook”. Today, therefore, the long-awaited duel between the two could appear.
There could be a very brilliant Brad Binder acting as “referee” this weekend. The KTM rider usually shows his best in races and the fact that he managed to squeeze his RC16 into the front row says a lot about his potential. However, Martin was unreachable for him too, because his gap was 416 thousandths.
Opening the second row is Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia, with the Granollers rider being very clever in going straight in the wake of the poleman, despite seeing himself edged out by almost six tenths of a second from his Ducati friend. Among other things, the eldest of the Espargaro brothers also angered Jack Miller, who ended up eighth, because he proceeded slowly into Turn 2 while the KTM Australian was still on a flying lap. To be honest, however, all the riders ahead of Aleix had also slowed down.
Completing the second row are two other Ducatis, those of the two riders who will leave the Borgo Panigale company at the end of the year, namely Johann Zarco and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who unfortunately has found his feet on the Desmosedici GP just now that his adventure with Gresini Racing is approaching its end.
After progressing from Q1, but therefore having only one soft tire available for Q2, Marc Marquez managed to place his Honda in seventh position. The eight-time world champion wasted his only chance chasing Bagnaia’s wake, to the point that on the opening lap he even followed him into the escape route of Turn 4. However, he wasn’t able to be as effective as the champion. of the world in office, closing at 766 thousandths.
Speaking of Miller’s eighth place, in ninth place is the second Aprilia of Maverick Vinales, while Marco Bezzecchi hasn’t shone too much this weekend so far. The driver of the Mooney VR46 is tenth and is probably suffering a little more from the collarbone operation ten days ago. Enea Bastianini also seems to have taken a step back compared to Mandalika, 12th behind Pol Espargaro’s GasGas Tech3.
What we witnessed today was a Q1 that saw great strategies and trail games, in which it was inevitable that there could be some heavy eliminations. In this sense, the one that is most striking is that of Fabio Quartararo, because the Yamaha rider didn’t even come close to being able to pass the cut and actually finds himself 17th (but will start 16th).
The first of those excluded was Alex Marquez, returning after breaking four ribs suffered in India, who was beaten by his brother by just 87 thousandths on his Gresini Racing Ducati. Next we find Augusto Fernandez, who probably wasted a great opportunity.
The GasGas Tech3 driver was in the lead after the first run, but was unable to put in a great lap in the second and did not improve. Among other things, he will also have to serve a three-place grid penalty for today’s long race for having obstructed Quartararo in yesterday’s afternoon session. This means that he will climb to 17th and that Raul Fernandez, Joan Mir and the aforementioned Quartararo will take advantage of this, gaining one position each.
Unfortunately, those excluded also include Luca Marini, the most struggling of the Ducati riders this weekend, who is experiencing new pain from his fractured collarbone in India and is in 18th position, and Franco Morbidelli, who will be at the center with his Yamaha of the last row, with Miguel Oliveira’s Aprilia RNF and Takaaki Nakagami’s Honda LCR at his side.
However, Alex Rins will not be part of the match, having raised the white flag early having once again suffered pain in his injured leg in the Mugello Sprint. A signal that urged him to be cautious, given that his recovery has been going on for several months and there is no point in risking complicating the situation further.
Q2 ranking
Q1 ranking
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