Championship leader Jorge Martin stormed to a commanding pole position on Saturday for both the Australian MotoGP sprint race and the grand prix, while his closest rival, Francesco Bagnaia, will start from fifth. In chilly, overcast conditions at Phillip Island, Martin clocked a lap time of 1min 27.296sec, just shy of his own lap record, securing his third consecutive pole at the circuit. However, he has yet to turn these pole positions into a win.
Martin’s impressive performance left six-time world champion Marc Marquez in second place, trailing by a significant 0.594 seconds, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales rounding out the front row. “It was tricky today with the wind, the track dried out but we didn’t know what to expect,” said Martin. “I’m really happy to have another pole — the third in a row. I think we are best in terms of pace.”
Defending world champion Bagnaia, riding for Ducati, was 1.182 seconds behind Martin and will start from fifth, with Marco Bezzecchi on the Ducati-VR46 taking fourth. Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez completed the second row in sixth.
Martin currently leads Bagnaia by 10 points in the standings, with four race weekends remaining after Bagnaia’s double victory in Japan two weeks ago. Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini and Gresini’s Marc Marquez, who are 69 and 71 points behind Martin respectively, are both vying for podium finishes to stay in the title race. While Marquez has been strong throughout the weekend, Bastianini struggled, qualifying 10th.
“We are on target, on the front row,” said Marquez, who has won four times at Phillip Island, including three MotoGP victories.
Spanish rookie Pedro Acosta experienced a dip in form, qualifying in 15th, his lowest starting position of the season, after taking pole in Japan.
This marks the first time Australia has hosted a sprint race. Last year’s event was canceled an hour before the start due to heavy rain and wind gusts reaching 80 kilometers per hour. Despite the weather challenges, the MotoGP went ahead, with France’s Johann Zarco claiming victory after overtaking Bagnaia on the final lap.
