Marco Bezzecchi's blazing performance at the Liqui Moly Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix secured him the top spot on Day 1, shattering the previous lap record with a stunning 1:26.492. This achievement propelled Aprilia Racing to a dominant 1-2 finish, with Raul Fernandez closely following in second place. The Italian's remarkable time of 0.666 seconds better than the previous record set the tone for a highly competitive practice session.
The session commenced with Francesco Bagnaia, riding the Ducati Lenovo Team, facing challenges as he struggled with both bikes. However, Pecco's switch to the second Ducati paid off, propelling him into P5. Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta led the pack in the initial stages, but Fabio Di Giannantonio's 1:27.483 time shifted the dynamics, pushing Bezzecchi into second place.
A minor crash by Acosta at Turn 4 briefly interrupted his session, but he quickly resumed. The real drama unfolded as Jack Miller, on his Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP machine, surged to P2, just 0.023s behind Di Giannantonio. Bezzecchi, however, wasn't done yet. He delivered a breathtaking 1:27.099, followed by an even more astonishing 1:26.580, setting a new all-time lap record. This move solidified Bezzecchi's lead, with El Diablo, Fabio Quartararo, securing a Monster Energy Yamaha 2-3 finish.
The session's climax saw Bezzecchi's Aprilia teammate, Fernandez, join the Aprilia 1-2, finishing just three tenths behind the pacesetter. The focus then shifted to Fermin Aldeguer, the Indonesian GP winner, who, despite sitting P11, narrowly missed a personal best lap, finishing 0.005s off the mark. This means Aldeguer will need to navigate Q1 to secure a top-10 position.
The top 10 results heading into Saturday's qualifying are as follows: Bezzecchi in P1, Fernandez in P2, Di Giannantonio in P3, and Quartararo in P4, all on Yamaha. Alex Marquez completed the top five, while Alex Rins, Luca Marini, and Pol Espargaro secured top-eight positions. Pecco, despite a late surge, settled for P9, comfortably securing a spot in Q2. Acosta, just barely, held onto P10.
The stage is set for an exciting Q1, featuring riders like Aldeguer, Brad Binder, Miller, Joan Mir, and Johann Zarco, all vying for a top-two spot before the pole position shootout. The Australian GP promises to be a thrilling spectacle as the riders battle for pole position and the coveted championship points.
