Marco Bezzecchi topped Friday afternoon’s MotoGP Practice at Phillip Island with a late 1m26.775s lap, despite being involved in one of the two incidents that interrupted the 60-minute session. The Aprilia rider finished 0.072s ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez, while Marc Marquez placed third for Ducati, 0.126s off the benchmark. The result gives Bezzecchi a direct place in Q2 for the Australian Grand Prix.

Two red flags, two very different incidents

The first stoppage came with just over 50 minutes remaining. Bezzecchi ran into the rear of Alex Marquez’s Gresini Ducati on the approach to the Turn 4 hairpin. The contact damaged the Aprilia’s fairing and sent Bezzecchi onto the grass, where he dropped the motorcycle. Debris was left on the circuit, but Bezzecchi was not injured. FIM stewards examined the incident and decided that no further action was warranted.

Jorge Martin took the lead when the session restarted, setting a 1m27.902s lap. The second red flag followed with just over 40 minutes remaining after a wallaby entered the circuit. Race control paused the practice while the animal was moved clear of the danger area.

Late improvements decide the order

After the second restart, Bezzecchi returned to the top with a 1m27.374s lap on used rubber. Pedro Acosta was the first rider to set the pace on a fresh tyre, going fastest with a 1m27.208s effort. Alex Marquez then lowered the mark to 1m27.150s, before Marc Marquez became the first rider of the session below 1m27s with a 1m26.901s lap. Bezzecchi had the final answer with his 1m26.775s run.

Marc Marquez’s Ducati also appeared with new swingarm wings similar to the rear aerodynamic devices pioneered by Aprilia. Ai Ogura matched Marc Marquez’s lap time on the second Trackhouse Aprilia, placing fourth. Championship leader Jorge Martin was fifth, 0.255s from the top, and entered the weekend only two points clear of Marquez ahead of the expected Saturday sprint, with that plan dependent on the weather.

Who secured direct Q2 places?

Alex Marquez was sixth after a late crash, while Enea Bastianini led the KTM riders in seventh ahead of Pedro Acosta. Diogo Moreira was ninth for LCR Honda, and Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top 10 for VR46 Ducati, taking the final direct Q2 position. Pecco Bagnaia could manage only 14th and therefore missed out on a direct Q2 place.

Fernandez remained competitive while still carrying a hand injury from his collision with Bezzecchi in Indonesia. The factory Honda team did not take part in the session because Luca Marini withdrew after contracting a virus. That left Moreira to represent Honda in the top nine, while the main focus at the front stayed on Bezzecchi’s recovery from the early crash and his decisive late lap.