It wouldn’t be a race weekend at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit without a bit of drama in each session. The MotoGP Free Practice 2 was no exception, with more problems plaguing the Ducati Lenovo Team, and teams debated rear tyre choices. But it was Marco Bezzecchi with a point to prove, setting the fastest lap time of the morning of 1:27.278. Read below to see how the rest of the session at the Australian GP played out.
Which Bike Does Bagnaia Choose?
Despite the slight delay from the earlier red flag in the Moto2 session, riders were quick out of the pit lane as the thirty-minute session got underway. After switching his bike several times in both Free Practice 1 and the Practice sessions on Friday that had the Ducati Lenovo Team scrambling, Francesco Bagnaia had prepared for the possibility of experiencing the same issues with stability and pace. It wasn’t long before the #63 came straight back into the garage and pointed to the number two machine. It’s clear the gremlins in the number one bike are still prevalent, but Bagnaia may be in a world of trouble should a flag-to-flag situation arise during either the Tissot Sprint or the Sunday feature race.
Another Honda Engine Goes Boom
For several rounds now, many have been praising the impressive performance after the intuitive upgrades that have been made to the competing Honda bikes on the grid. But for the second time this weekend, another machine experienced a complete engine failure as Luca Marini came streaming down the main straight. The #10 was in front of Pedro Acosta when a massive plume of smoke went into the face of the Spaniard before he swerved out of the way. Both Marini and Joan Mir were able to finish the FP2 session without further incident. But the pace was not enough to crack the top five. Considering the qualifying would take place directly after the conclusion of this session, the Honda HRC Castrol garage has the work cut out for them to ensure all bikes are operational and ready to go.
Heavy Slide Takes Out Previous Australian GP Winner
Johann Zarco crashed in a heavy slide coming into Turn 10, sending both him and the bike into the gravel trap. He appeared slightly winded as he leaned against his Castrol Honda LCR machine before attempting to kickstart it with the assistance of marshals. However, he was unable to get it running as the #5 expressed his evident agitation. The Frenchman had no choice but to leave it behind and take the long way back to the pit lane.
The Top Ten
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Fabio Di Giannantonio
- Fabio Quartararo
- Álex Márquez
- Rául Fernández
- Fermín Aldeguer
- Jack Miller
- Francesco Bagnaia
- Pedro Acosta
- Brad Binder
What to Expect For the Rest of the Weekend
The confirmation came in that the rest of the MotoGP weekend schedule will go ahead as initially planned, with no repeat of what occurred back in 2023 when the main race was held on the Saturday. However, with this part of the world known for having four seasons in one day and the abundant wildlife, there are plenty of unknown factors that could impact the rest of the weekend. Regardless, the upcoming qualifying is sure to be an eventful one.