Wet and Drmatic Friday at Phillip Island
Moto3 Highlights – Friday
With the championship already secured by David Alonso in Japan, Friday's practice sessions at Phillip Island saw riders eager to showcase their talent. The notorious Phillip Island rain added an extra layer of challenge, testing the skills of the Moto3 field. Despite already being crowned world champion, Alonso dominated Free Practice, proving he's not ready to take it easy just yet. After a rain delay, Practice 1 and 2 resumed, determining who would advance directly to Q2. Angel Piqueras topped both sessions, while Australia’s young talents, Jordan Kelso and Jacob Roulstone, were also in the spotlight. For Roulstone, in his Phillip Island debut in Moto3, it was a tough break as he missed out on Q2, leaving him to fight in Q1. Kelso, however, secured a Q2 spot, continuing his strong form from last year. Saturday's qualifying is shaping up to be dramatic and fiercely competitive.
Credit: MotoGP Press
Moto2 Highlights – Friday
The ever-changing weather made Friday's Moto2 practice sessions a true test for riders trying to find those crucial extra tenths. This weekend is pivotal for Ai Ogura, who has a chance to clinch the Moto2 world title. Free Practice saw Aron Canet setting the pace early on. As the track conditions gradually improved in Practice 1 and 2, the sessions remained tricky but essential for securing a spot in Q2. Fermin Aldeguer topped Practice 1, while Australian rider Senna Agius delighted the home crowd by finishing on top in Practice 2. Unfortunately, Agius narrowly missed out on Q2, placing 15th overall. Meanwhile, Ogura safely advanced to Q2, and Aldeguer, a future MotoGP star, finished first in the combined times, positioning himself well for the weekend ahead.
Credit: MotoGP Press
MotoGP Highlights - Friday
After a washout in FP1 (although an entertaining one at that), thankfully the weather gods played nicely in the afternoon to allow the MotoGP™ riders a full 60 minutes of dry running around the phenomenal Phillip Island. And leading the way into Saturday will be Marc Marquez, who beat brother and Gresini Racing MotoGP™ teammate Alex Marquez by 0.102s, as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) made it a Ducati GP23 1-2-3 on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ended Day 1 in P4 and P5 to sail safely into Q2, but it's not the same story for Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian will need to wade through Q1 after ending Practice in P16.
Credit: MotoGP Press