Jorge
Jorge

2023 Australian MotoGP: Friday practice - LIVE UPDATES

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia takes an 18-point lead over Jorge Martin into the Australian Grand Prix, after the Pramac Ducati rider’s costly fall from th💛e lead at Mandalika last weekend.

Marco Bezzecchi's Indonesian heroics, a week after breaking his (right) collarboneꦫ, means the VR46 rider has closed to 45 points from Martin. Team-mate Luca Marini, who took a debꦛut pole position at Mandalika, also expects the condition of his broken (left) collarbone to be slightly improved.

After backing out of a planned comeback in Indonesia due to pain from his recently fractured ribs, Alex Marquez will try again at Phillip Island -&nbsဣp;meaning all 22 riders could line up for the Saturday Sprint for the first time since the Portimao season opener.

Nonetheless, laꦺst year's Phillip Island winner Ale🤪x Rins is still recovering from leg fractures and Enea Bastianini from hand and ankle injuries.

M🥂arc Marquez took his only podium of the season in Australia last year.

While decent weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, wind gusts reaching as high as 80km/h are currently predicted for Sunday, prompting speculation of possible schedule chan🥃ges.

06:03
Friday practice is finished as Binder reigns supreme

Binder tops Practice 2 ahead of Mill⛎er, Vinales, Martin and P. Espargaro. 

06:01

Bagnaia will need to go through Q1. He's j🐈ust missed out on the top ten. 

05:58

Binder goes top with a sub 1m 𒆙28s lap. Stunning p💯ace from the KTM man. 

05:51

Bagnaia is really struggling. He's gone quicker but is only 14th. Sector two ꧅and three is where🏅 the Italian is losing huge time to Martin. 

05:48

Mart🐭in goes top! Stunning lap from the title contender. Bagnaia is currently 19th. 

05:47

It's a factor𒊎y ♉Aprilia 1-2 as Vinales goes quickest for the first time in Practice 2.

05:44

And he does just that. Espargaro has gone top by over four tenths and sets the fiꦑrst sub 1m 29s lap of 🌃the weekend. 

05:44

Aleix Espargaro is about﷽ to destꦿory Zarco's time...

05:39

It's not Joahhn Zarco who has gon�ಌ�e quickest for Pramac Ducati. 

05:38

Top spot has finally changed hands as Fabio Di Giannantonio has gone quickest by just -0.006s of a second💟. 

05:35

Fabio Q🐠uartararo is also showing good speed with the soft rear as he moves up to third spot. 

05:25

Vinales has a ಞnew soft rear tyre fitted to his factory Aprilia bike. 

05:25

Some very fast laps are coming in with jus🌃t under 40 minutes remaining as Maverick Vinales goes second. 

05:21
Marquez is down for the 25th time this season

Crash for Marc Marquez at turn ten. The Honda rider lost the front♛-end after neary saving it. 

05:17

Binder is still fastest after improving his time once again, but it's not Marco Bezze𝓀cchi that is second. 

05:09

The🥂 KTM's are showing very good pace at the start of Practic﷽e 2 as Binder leads the way from Pol Espargaro and Jack Miller.

05:00

Good morning and welcom𒈔e back to Friday practice at the Austral🐓ian MotoGP. Practice 2 is underway at Phillip Island. 

04:22

For those following Moto2 Practice 2, the rea🦂son for the red flags is to clear some large geese from the track at Turn 6!

01:31

FP1 ends with Jorge Martin fastest by 0.720s from Augu💜sto Fernandez with Maverick Vinales in third.

01:30

Martin improves again, while Augusto Fernandez imp🍃resses again by moving into second but is♑ 0.720s behind the Pramac Ducati.

01:30

(The rest𒉰 of the fieldꦑ are still on medium rear tyres)