Quartararo fourth; Aleix Espargaro, Bagnaia and Bastianini in the top ten with Miller searching for more on Saturday.
Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) doubled up on Friday Down Under, fastest in both FP1 and FP2 – but it was incredibly close by the end of play. The Frenchman leads on the combined timesheets by just 0.038 from rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top three and still within 0.052 of the top.
So where are the title challengers? Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was fourth and within a tenth of the 44, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) seventh, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) eighth and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) ninth. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was P13 on Day 1 and will be the first looking for a lot more from a flier on Saturday.
There were four different manufacturers in the top five as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was just behind Quartararo, the number 12 starting off strong at a venue he’s ruled before. The gap between Quartararo and Viñales, 0.131, is the only gap in the top 18 that’s bigger than a single tenth.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in P6 makes a pair of Hondas in the top ten, and the number 93 was also seen out on track trying out some new aero – a new add-on to the tail unit in FP1 and then a new aero body in the afternoon.
Marc Marquez, Viñales, Quartararo was how the top three sat ahead of the time attacks, with Aleix Espargaro in the danger zone in 10th and Bagnaia one position outside the provisional Q2 cut-off. With cool conditions expected on Saturday morning, the stakes were high and lap times started to tumble again, with Bezzecchi, Viñales and Quartararo all taking turns at the top. Bezzecchi had been shuffled back to sixth when he fired in a 1:29.513 to go fastest again in the final minute, but that was bettered by Zarco by 0.038 seconds just before the chequered flag.
As it stands, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is the first to miss the Q2 cut in P11, just ahead of the returning Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – just meaning 0.021.
Will FP3 allow the field to improve? We’ll find out soon as the premier class head out again 9:55 (GMT +11), before the grid is decided for a pivotal round at Phillip Island from 14:10.
What’s that coming over the hill, is it new aero?
FRIDAY: TOP 3
1 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’29.475
2 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.038
3 Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +0.052
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