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00:00Zarko's on wheels, I think Pedro's on slicks, so it's a bit of a mixed bag.
00:05Yeah, we were literally standing right next to the bikes going out there, so we had a decent look.
00:10Some competition though for Fabio in this one.
00:13Gavin, Jack Miller, Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini all with a chance of getting through here.
00:20Absolutely, Susie.
00:21Joe and Zarko had thrown into that mix as well, and who knows?
00:24Luke Cabrini has gone out on those slicks, looks like maybe Augusto Fernandez too.
00:28We were just discussing actually what you do in this session.
00:32Our take on it was you have a go on wet weather tyres, Neil, to start.
00:37Put a banker in just to get something safe.
00:40Have a look at the track and how it's developing and then go on slicks for the second one.
00:44You said our, that was your take.
00:45Sorry, my take on it was.
00:47You went, yeah, I agree.
00:49Did I?
00:50Yes!
00:51I'm jet lagged.
00:52Well, I don't actually.
00:53I think what I would do is what you've seen quite a few of the riders doing.
00:57Pedro is doing it, the two Honda riders, is out with slicks and build into it.
01:03We've seen that before.
01:04You can get that rhythm.
01:06You're not going to put a fresh tyre in.
01:07You're not going to pit stop if you've got your slicks on.
01:09You're just going to stay out, work on yourself.
01:12The tyres are not going to get worn out in 15 minutes.
01:15I think that's what I'd go for.
01:16Augusto Fernandez, Juan Mir, Luke Cabrini, the riders currently who have gone out on the slick tyres at the start of this session.
01:25You're absolutely right in that about building in, making sure.
01:28He's gone with a soft front, actually, Augusto Fernandez, and that's confidence.
01:33Absolutely.
01:34I'd have done exactly the same.
01:35Soft on the front, soft on the rear, and build into it.
01:39Luckily, the chunks of the track, like this part where it is dry, where you can really generate the heat in the slick.
01:45Medium front for Juan Mir obviously just prefers that front feeling from that one.
01:50It's definitely slicks.
01:51Yeah.
01:52It's definitely dry enough.
01:53I do understand why people would go out and do an insulation lap again on a wet.
01:58Straight in, put the slicks on, and get stuck in.
02:01Yeah.
02:02You see Jack Miller's bike is ready to go.
02:05Actually, it's crossed the line, so he's going to put a banker in.
02:09Yeah.
02:10Similarly, Fabio Quartararo, who sets off.
02:13He comes out of the southern loop towards Stoner Corner now.
02:17I think now this is where your team should tell you.
02:21Just get some slicks on.
02:23Yeah, because slicks are going to count.
02:25It's not going to get wetter in this session now.
02:28Might as well go and have a look as long as you can on the slick tyres.
02:32It's not going to be a tyre change situation.
02:35You're not going to burn a tyre out, so you might as well just build into it, as Neil said.
02:40Yeah.
02:42Could well be that Juan Mir, Augusto Fernandez, Luca Torini have gone out.
02:46Could have made the absolute right decision here as we go on board with Jack Miller.
02:50Normally the first to do so.
02:52But maybe chased him by a couple of crashes yesterday in that one hour long session.
03:01The pace wasn't bad.
03:02Just had a sit at the first one, actually.
03:05It's fair to say the crash that he had was just because he was avoiding action and went onto wet grass.
03:12Yeah.
03:13The second one was when he was pushing in the latter stages.
03:15Yeah, absolutely.
03:17It's been one of those weekends for a lot of riders.
03:19Such tricky conditions.
03:22There's been tricky parts of the racetrack as well.
03:24We saw so many crashes out of the Miller hairpin.
03:28As Joan Zarco sets the first benchmark time.
03:31A 1.34.4.
03:33Fast on a wet weather tyre.
03:35Wet tyres, a 34.
03:38That's incredible.
03:39Miller's done the take.
03:40Yeah.
03:41And Juan Mir on the slicks, a 1.39.5.
03:44Yeah.
03:45So he's quite a way off, but his next lap will be so much faster.
03:48This is what you see normally, because you're just building your confidence.
03:52This next lap will probably be like a 35.
03:55See how he sat on the bike, just looks awkward.
03:57He looks stiff, doesn't he?
03:58That's why.
03:59Because you are tense.
04:01There you see Fabio Quartararo.
04:07He's come in already.
04:09He didn't even trouble the scorers.
04:11Came back in.
04:12No point, yeah.
04:13Good decision.
04:14Yeah, I realised.
04:15You can see how windy it is.
04:17He's accelerating out of pit lane.
04:19Because you're accelerating, there's no weight on the front.
04:21And he had his body all twisted to the side,
04:23trying to counteract against that horrendous side wind.
04:27The sun is out now here at Phillip Island.
04:29Finally, it makes its appearance.
04:31And that will hasten the drying of this racetrack very quickly,
04:35especially with that wind blowing across, a bit of sunshine on it.
04:38And we could well get a real shootout.
04:40There will still be patches of rain for Q2.
04:44But for now, who will join them up in that qualifying final?
04:47Still 10 minutes to go in this session.
04:50That part of the track looks tricky, doesn't it?
04:52Just down into MG.
04:54It looks like there's a dry line,
04:56but it looks like you can easily just touch one of those damp patches
05:00and you'll be down.
05:01Augusto Fernandez on the slicks, I'll remind you.
05:030.8 of a second off Zarco's time.
05:06So you feel like the next lap could well be
05:09the one where he goes to the top of the timesheet.
05:12Well, it's coming out this last corner where it is dry.
05:15That's where he should gain time anyway.
05:19And he has. He took a gain.
05:21Not much. Gained a tenth.
05:22Oh, that's the wind.
05:24That's the wind.
05:25That's the wind pushing him off the track completely.
05:27In the braking zone, slicks on a wet kerb.
05:31Let's hope he really improved the runoff there.
05:34That was close.
05:35Jack nearly took his mechanic out with his boot.
05:39Yeah.
05:40I can only imagine how that felt for Augusto Fernandez.
05:42Well, you're a passenger.
05:43It's the worst feeling that just the wind gets you.
05:46You're on the kerb.
05:47You can't then brake because it's wet and you've got slicks.
05:49But luckily what they've done there,
05:51they've increased the runoff.
05:52They've increased the tarmac area.
05:55I just think of Celestino Bietti last year.
05:57That was who he was.
05:58I forgot who crashed there.
05:59In the Moto2 race.
06:00And he just got completely blown off the track.
06:02It was incredible.
06:03Incredible.
06:08So that's another factor being thrown at them.
06:12The weather, the wildlife, the wind.
06:17Yeah, the track conditions.
06:19Look at it.
06:20Dry but damp patches.
06:23Jack Miller quickly out.
06:24Still Zarco, Fernandez.
06:26The wind again got him completely.
06:28You could see he lost time there.
06:30Pedro Costa was saying it's a hard track.
06:33He obviously knows it from...
06:35Well, he's actually only been here for the last couple of years.
06:40No, no, because we didn't go in 21, did we?
06:43And then we had all the problems with weather last year.
06:46Yeah.
06:47So he's only been a couple of times.
06:49But on a MotoGP bike, everything's coming at you so fast.
06:53Yeah, it's a different animal on a MotoGP bike.
06:56Right, first slick time at the top of the time sheets.
06:59It's Luca Marini, new dad,
07:01who has taken it down to 1.33.9.
07:07Slicks the tyres to be on now.
07:09And Marini here,
07:11Augusto Fernandez are the ones who will have been on them the longest.
07:14But it's Pedro Costa,
07:16complete with his mullet helmet.
07:20He's doing the job halfway round.
07:26Over the top of Lukey Heights, down to MG.
07:28You can't go too tight.
07:30Like, he likes to ride into MG corner.
07:32Yeah, you're right.
07:33Yeah, he'd normally turned in a little bit earlier,
07:35but you can see that part of the track is still completely wet.
07:38So he's avoiding that at all costs.
07:40Got to keep off the paint.
07:41You see there, that little patch,
07:43Troy Corsa told me about it before the weekend.
07:45He crashed in similar conditions here
07:48during the Aussie Superbike weekend,
07:51doing a couple of laps.
07:53And he just said,
07:54it's like he came across a puddle just in the middle.
07:56And it's a patched up area of racetrack.
07:58There's a few of them up there on the racetrack.
08:01I say the surface is good.
08:02The resurface has been good.
08:03But as always,
08:05there's always that one or two spots
08:07where they've had to resurface it.
08:13So Pedro Costa is now at the top of the time sheet.
08:16Shows how quickly someone like Costa,
08:18who likes the bike loose and moving around underneath him,
08:20can get to the limit.
08:22You'd expect, like Jack Miller,
08:24to be quicker doing that too.
08:26Luca Marini reclaims top spot.
08:28It's going to really help the riders
08:30that have gone through this session,
08:32through qualifying 1.
08:33That go through to qualifying 2
08:35really will have an advantage.
08:37You can see Luca Marini up towards the sharp end.
08:39That'll be good.
08:40It'll be really good to see.
08:42Really good to see his progress throughout the year.
08:44Do you know, he did it his way, didn't he?
08:46Signed part of the factory Honda team.
08:48Didn't miss too much early on.
08:50Gave all his feedback.
08:51Wasn't crashing the bike.
08:54Some of the races were almost quite embarrassing,
08:56but they kept on improving the bike
08:58and they listened to his feedback.
09:00He's working his way forward nicely.
09:02Building nicely here is Pedro Costa.
09:05Down through MG.
09:07This is the part of the race track
09:09I think you just have to be wary of.
09:11Just there.
09:13Oh, yes.
09:14As he goes over that patch,
09:16it really unsettles the bike.
09:19Who else is on a fast lap here?
09:21Joan Mir, Luca Marini are also pushing on the pace.
09:24Jack Miller's just done a personal best
09:26and gone fourth.
09:27But Pedro Costa really is moving the dial
09:29towards a more normal dry lap time.
09:32This is really good stuff
09:34from the,
09:36shall we say,
09:37honorary Aussie this weekend.
09:40I think he should have gone the whole hog
09:42and had a little bit of a mullet
09:44coming out of his helmet.
09:45That'd have been funny.
09:47What, a little bit Norik Abe-esque
09:49coming out of the back of his helmet?
09:53Mir and Marini
09:54through the final corner.
09:55Miller's also pushing on now.
09:59Marini takes the second spot ahead of Joan Mir.
10:04You can see Alberto Butch down there.
10:07You haven't seen too much of him over this year.
10:10Definitely a few steps in the right direction for Honda.
10:14Today it's the weather that is playing
10:16into their hands.
10:17Having gone straight out on the slick tyres.
10:23Off the bottom of the fairway
10:24and he said that looked like something had flapped open.
10:28Rene Bastinini's just gone into fourth.
10:30I remind you, he's in this session.
10:33Of course, sixth, third in the championship.
10:35Just two points ahead of Marc Marquez.
10:37And with Marquez going so well,
10:38that's its own little battle there
10:41between the two of them.
10:43Yeah, he's been well off it this weekend
10:45so far as Rene.
10:47Track is not done that well in the past.
10:53On board we go with Pedro Acosta.
10:57Goes even quicker still.
10:59130.8 now.
11:02It's just like a race.
11:03You're just going to keep at it,
11:04lap after lap.
11:06Each lap the track's getting drier.
11:08And you aren't burning up your tyres.
11:10No.
11:12Bastinini now on pace to perhaps go in the top two.
11:16This is going to be a tasty end of the qualifying one session.
11:20The famous last man across the line situation.
11:26Pedro again on a really good lap.
11:28Really got to grips with it,
11:29if you pardon the phraseology.
11:34So Rene second.
11:37Bastinini through 11 and now into 12.
11:42Usually known as the swan corner.
11:45Fifth gear in a MotoGP.
11:46Oh, sorry.
11:47I was thinking of turn three's fifth gear in a MotoGP.
11:50By the last corner's fourth gear on exit.
11:54They click sick, don't you?
11:55Fire about just past the line.
11:57Just past the finish line.
11:59Then back two into turn one.
12:02120 mile an hour corner.
12:05This one's not.
12:06MG's super tight.
12:07Up two gears.
12:08First, second, third.
12:10And you hold third round this part of the track.
12:12As it stands, Acosta and Bastinini have identical lap times.
12:15Can you believe it?
12:17In these treacherous, strange, weird conditions.
12:20Slick tyres on a partly damp track
12:22and they've got identical lap times.
12:23It's not going to last long.
12:26But to three decimal places they were there.
12:28Now Acosta breaks the 1.30 barrier.
12:32But he ain't going to back off.
12:33He's not.
12:35Surprise for me here, Neil, is Jack Miller.
12:39It's like he hasn't got the confidence.
12:43He's in fourth, but he's not challenging on this next lap.
12:48Yeah, it's a strange one, that.
12:49Because these are Jack Miller conditions.
12:51And he's been fast this weekend.
12:53Yeah.
12:55Right, Marini.
12:57Out of the final corner.
12:59Not going through a stink stand.
13:00He reclaims that second spot from Enea Bastinini.
13:04Joao Mir goes up into fifth.
13:08Further back, Aleix Spargro is 11th.
13:11Lorenzo Savadori, actually, has just gone 11th.
13:14Spargro's back to 12th now.
13:15Because Augusto Fernandez has moved up.
13:17And Ralf Fernandez has gone second out of nowhere.
13:24Miller's going to get one more lap.
13:25This is the better one from Miller.
13:27This could put him...
13:28If he can nail this last sector here, it could put him...
13:32Look at that.
13:33That damp patch is appalling in the middle, isn't it?
13:35Terrible.
13:36Just not drying at all.
13:37No.
13:38And then Miller could go into second with this.
13:40But he'll only have one more go at it.
13:43It's not going to be the last lap across the line for Miller.
13:47He goes second.
13:49Wow, he needs to find something, though, on this last lap.
13:52Because other riders are going to go quicker than him.
13:55Pedro Acosta will get one more lap with a minute to go.
14:00Luca Marini's on a fast one.
14:01Enea Bastinini, Ralf Fernandez are all on fast laps.
14:04They're the ones challenging now.
14:07Will it be the two Gas-Gas riders?
14:10In fact, Joan Zarco now goes up into second place.
14:14I mean, there are five or six riders who are going to go through.
14:17It looks like Acosta will be one of them.
14:20Jack Miller's just gone fastest in the first sector.
14:24It is...
14:25Neil, it's going to be last across the line.
14:27Yeah, and Pedro's backed out.
14:29Pedro's not going to go through.
14:31Right.
14:32Even though he's quickest, but there's so many red indicators now.
14:35But can anyone beat him?
14:36Enea Bastinini looks like he's got more than enough in hand.
14:39Jack Miller's got enough in hand.
14:42Through there.
14:43It's just slipping and sliding.
14:45So treacherous.
14:47Such a long corner.
14:48Trying to find the grip.
14:49Look at him.
14:50He's standing the bike out on the kerbs.
14:51He's risking everything.
14:53Enea Bastinini's lost time in the third sector,
14:55but he still goes to the top of the timesheets.
14:57And now it's all about Jack Miller.
14:59Can he displace Pedro Acosta?
15:02It's a Bastinini and Acosta-esting stand.
15:04But other riders have set off on another lap.
15:07In fact, Bastinini will get another go at this.
15:10I'm not sure this is going to be enough from Jack Miller now.
15:13Looked perfect out of the final corner.
15:15Quartararo's done.
15:16He's not going through.
15:17And Miller only goes third.
15:19Takes the chequered flag.
15:20So Miller isn't going through in the Australian Grand Prix.
15:23Frustration and disappointment for the Aussie
15:26and for his team boss, Francesco Guidotti.
15:28Here comes Zarco.
15:29He's up.
15:30Only got the last corner to go.
15:32So did Miller, though, didn't he?
15:33He had just the last corner to go.
15:35And he lost out here.
15:36What has Joan Zarco got for us?
15:39To the line.
15:40Frenchman.
15:41Last year, race winner.
15:42He's going through to Q2-esting stand.
15:44But, Neil, other riders are still on fast laps.
15:48Yeah, Bastinini's on a great lap.
15:50So is Raul Fernandez.
15:51And the good thing here for Fernandez is
15:53he's got a marker.
15:54Yeah.
15:56Perfect distance.
15:57Someone to chase down, especially on this long last corner.
15:59Marini goes top now.
16:01He's displaced Joan Zarco.
16:03So Zarco is not going through.
16:05But it could be Luca Marini.
16:07Wow.
16:08Into Q2.
16:10Still, though, Fernandez and Bastinini are going to go quicker.
16:13Fernandez goes top.
16:14And I think Bastinini could displace Luca Marini.
16:17Raul Fernandez right at the close.
16:20And it's going to be last rider across the line,
16:22as we suggested.
16:23And it's Enea Bastinini who just takes Luca Marini
16:28and goes through alongside Raul Fernandez.
16:32Incredible.
16:34Well, Pedro Acosta will be so annoyed and so is Jack.
16:37Timing.
16:38When he crossed the finish line,
16:40there was 1 minute 20 to go.
16:42Yeah.
16:43And that meant there
16:45that he was not going to be the last to cross the line.
16:48If he'd have got that next lap in,
16:49every chance he'd have been going through.
16:51But it was Fernandez and then Bastinini going through.
16:54Pedro Acosta will also be frustrated, Neil.
16:56Yeah.
16:57He'll think on the grid.
16:58He'll have seen his pit board.
16:59As he went across the line, it said P1.
17:01And then, unfortunately, he did have another lap to go.
17:04But he backed out of turn one.
17:05He must have made a mistake.
17:07And it's cost him dearly.
17:09Now, Raul Fernandez.
17:11Who's been nowhere all weekend.
17:13He's been last all weekend, hasn't he?
17:15He was last in practice yesterday.
17:17He was last in practice just moments ago.
17:19And suddenly, out of nowhere,
17:21pulls a rabbit out of his hat.
17:25It's all about timing.
17:27The good news is for everybody else
17:29that have watched that session,
17:30obviously, everyone now knows
17:32the track looks in good condition.
17:34It's slick tyres.
17:35You'd have to be respectful of the kerbs.
17:40But, yeah, what a position.
17:42What information they have now going forward.
17:44Particularly Bastinini, I'd say then, Neil.
17:47Yeah.
17:48In terms of who's going to challenge
17:50Marc Marquez at the top.
17:51Yeah, you feel like Bastinini can go up a gear.
17:54I don't know about Fernandez so much.
17:57Yeah, Jack will be gutted with that.
18:01Back in.
18:03Akiyo watching on.
18:04His manager.
18:05Yeah, personal manager.
18:06Personal manager.
18:07With a team manager.
18:08Yeah, soon to be.
18:09That's got me a bit awkward in there at the moment, hasn't it?
18:11With Francesco Guidotti and Akiyo.
18:13Do you know, weirdly, it probably isn't
18:15because they're both such gentlemen.
18:18Absolutely, but disappointment for KTM.
18:21Miller and then Acosta not going through.
18:23Disappointment for Honda with no Zarco Marini.
18:26It's Ralph Fernandez.
18:27Susie, who goes through alongside Anaya Bastinini.
18:32Yeah, it is.
18:33And Ralph Fernandez, very under the weather yesterday.
18:36Not feeling very well,
18:37so I'm not quite sure what he took overnight.
18:39But it works.
18:40But it was a lottery out there, really.
18:41And last man on track really was always,
18:44I suppose, on a drying track,
18:45going to get the fastest lap.
18:46And that's what we saw.
18:47Yeah, it was a little bit of timing was everything.
18:51And sometimes the hand falls in your favour,
18:53as it did for Ralph Fernandez.
18:55He had to put everything on the line.
18:56He did put it together.
18:57So fair play to him.
18:58But Anaya Bastinini, as well, just got across the line,
19:01got one more lap.
19:02Otherwise, he wasn't getting through today.
19:03So, yeah, it was a little bit,
19:05Neil called it,
19:06it's going to be the last person to cross the line.
19:08And it was exactly that.
19:09So frustration for the KTM boys,
19:11Gas-Gas and KTM 5th and 6th,
19:13after leading the way.
19:14It looked like Jack and Pedro
19:15were the most likely to go through.
19:17Then it looked like the Hondas.
19:18And surprise package of Ralph Fernandez,
19:20as you mentioned, under the weather yesterday.
19:22Didn't say exactly what it was,
19:23but not feeling too well.
19:25So he did do some laps
19:26bottom of the time sheets yesterday
19:28and top of them today.
19:29So, yeah, good turnaround.
19:30Yeah, really good turnaround.
19:31Probably was the bug that we've all had, as well.
19:33It's gone through the whole paddock, hasn't it?
19:35And not very nice.
19:36So he'll be happy to get through.
19:37He'll be delighted.
19:38Yeah, Pedro Acosta, midway through that,
19:40you could see that he was really kind of
19:42turning a groove around Phillip Island.
19:44But ultimately, it was about timing.
19:47Unfortunately for Pedro,
19:48he looked good on the bike.
19:49When the conditions were at their trickiest,
19:51he was the most comfortable, really.
19:53A few laps into the session,
19:54and you'd have thought he was a shoe-in to go through.
19:57So obviously, he was getting the signals on his board.
19:59He kept pushing,
20:00but his last lap wasn't his best,
20:02and it should have been.
20:03So maybe it was a mistake from his part.
20:05He just rolled off early,
20:06thinking he had enough done,
20:07or maybe a mistake with the wind at turn one.
20:09But for whatever the reason,
20:10he didn't get his best at the end of the session.
20:12So he looked good out there,
20:13and he'd just be looking to bounce back
20:15from 15th on the grid tomorrow.
20:16Incredibly frustrating for Jack Miller
20:19to not go through on his home Grand Prix.
20:21He'll be visually disappointed with that as well,
20:24and he did look like he was fast.
20:26But it didn't happen at the end of the session.
20:28Let's get the thoughts from the KTM camp then.
20:30Steve is with Francesco Gradotti.
20:33Francesco, obvious disappointment
20:35that Jack hasn't made it through from that session.
20:38What's the feedback?
20:39Ah, feedback was, yeah.
20:42First final lap with slick tyres,
20:44he hit a rabbit,
20:45and the belly pan was completely open.
20:47So yeah, difficult to ride in this condition.
20:50Conditions are difficult for everyone.
20:52It's clearly now slick tyres,
20:53but some hope for Brad coming up here.
20:55Yeah, yeah, of course.
20:56Now it's 29.
20:57It's a good lap time,
20:58means that the condition is getting better and better.
21:0115 minutes more at the end of the session will be fine.
21:04So everybody will push.
21:06We know he was competitive last year here for the race,
21:09fighting for the podium.
21:10Do you think that's on offer again here this weekend?
21:12Yeah, I hope so.
21:13Again, yeah.
21:14I mean, feeling is good,
21:15and yeah, despite the cancellation
21:17of yesterday morning practice,
21:20Brad has a good feeling, so why not?
21:22Best of luck.
21:27Jack and a rabbit.
21:28Yeah, the boys said they thought they saw something,
21:31but we kind of hoped it wasn't that.
21:33Yeah, unfortunately,
21:34if it's open at the bottom of the belly pan,
21:36that affects the aero and how the bike steers and feels.
21:38So something did look strange for Jack.
21:40Normally, those are his conditions.
21:42The early laps, he wasn't that fast.
21:44He put it together towards the end,
21:45but he obviously wasn't able to pull a rabbit
21:47out of his hat today.
21:48So yeah, he unfortunately pulled one out of his hat.
21:50That's very, very, very poor, Michael Laverty.
21:54I'm not having that.
21:56I think it's probably a hare, but we'll go with it.
21:59Anyway, R.I.P. hare.
22:00So that's the trouble around Phillip Island
22:02with the nature around here.
22:04It's dangerous.
22:05Obviously, it's dangerous for the animals,
22:06but it's clearly dangerous for the riders as well.
22:08And we've got the wind.
22:09It was such a lottery out there in that session, wasn't it?
22:11As Francesco said,
22:12it's going to get better over these next 15 minutes,
22:14but really tricky.
22:15We've seen geese crossing the track yesterday,
22:17and the marshals do well to signal,
22:19and normally the sessions get stopped.
22:21They red-flag it straight away, don't they?
22:22They red-flag it immediately,
22:23but the hares and rabbits are a little bit faster,
22:25so you can't predict it.
22:26But yeah, it is the elements that we're dealing with
22:28right on the southern coast of Australia.
22:30So yeah, unfortunately, tricky conditions for all,
22:34but at least it does seem to be fair.
22:36The wind's staying.
22:37It's going to interrupt things in this Q2 session, no?
22:40Does this man go in as favourite to you
22:41because he's topped every session so far,
22:44and he's looked supreme.
22:45I mean, yes, in terms of yesterday's session,
22:48they were 17, I think, within a second,
22:50but he does look supreme here.
22:52He does.
22:53An anti-clockwise track with long-hanging left-handers,
22:56perfect for Marc Marquez on a weekend
22:58when it's a little bit hit and miss with weather.
23:00Not as much information for everyone
23:02to dial their settings in.
23:04You've got to say he's probably favourite
23:05for pole position and the race tomorrow,
23:07and maybe even the sprint this afternoon.
23:09So I think he's just in command.
23:11The GP23 Ducati's working well
23:14for everyone, not just him.
23:15For Marco Buscechi, for his teammate Alex Marquez.
23:18So, yeah, it's a bit of a mixed bag here this weekend,
23:21and good to see a shake-up of the run and order.
23:23So there's a championship race hanging in the balance
23:25for the two GP24 Ducati's,
23:27but these GP23 riders, like this man on screen,
23:30he's looking good this weekend and want to shake things up.
23:33Do you think ultimately with the session this morning,
23:35though, the GP24 riders, the championship contenders,
23:38have had enough time now to rebalance that,
23:41and we could see normal service resumed
23:43or do you think we might have a few surprises in this one?
23:45Yeah, obviously we know Ducati can dial things in overnight.
23:49They can improve a little bit.
23:51This is the first out and on track with slick tyres
23:53for Jorge MartÃn and Peko today.
23:55We've seen from Enea there's been improvements
23:57with the GP24, so I think we could see
23:59a few surprises here.
24:01The riders who've made improvements overnight
24:03on the setting, because we lost one session
24:06in the morning, it was just one session
24:08to get the bikes dialed in.
24:09And in terms of qualifying around here at Philippin,
24:12it's quite a narrow track.
24:1413 metres, we discussed it yesterday
24:16during our two-hour session of filling
24:18during that free practice one session.
24:20Quite narrow, but there are places to overtake here,
24:22so just how vital is the qualifying session now?
24:25It's important, but I would say less so
24:27because it's an old-school race track
24:29and you mentioned so many places to overtake.
24:31Slipstream effect down into turn one,
24:33change of direction into two,
24:35so it's a great racer's track,
24:37but everyone wants the front row.
24:38It just makes things easier.
24:40We know in MotoGP it's difficult
24:42when you've got such a high level of opponent.
24:44And we are going to get the bikes
24:46coming behind us actually in a minute,
24:48just so you know it's going to get very, very noisy
24:50very, very shortly, because here comes
24:52Jorge MartÃn getting out there first.
24:54He wants to get, there he goes, just having a look
24:56to make sure he can go out on track.
24:58And there he goes, and Maverick Vinales
25:01who's been enigmatic as always.
25:03And I think the other enigmatic rider
25:05this weekend is Alex Rins,
25:07because you never quite know
25:08what you're going to get with Alex.
25:09And when Alex is on form, he can spring a surprise.
25:11So it's really nice to see a bit of a resurgence.
25:13Alex is in such a tough season.
25:15Maverick Vinales, though, looking really good.
25:17He can upset the apple cart.
25:19A good qualifying from him means
25:20the Aprilia works over race distance.
25:22So, yeah, excited to see how this one unfolds.
25:24I think they're pretty much all out now.
25:26Another couple to go.
25:27We've got Francesco Bagnani behind us
25:29and Enea Bastianini.
25:30The boys are on their way.
25:31Let's hand over to Gavin O'Neill for this one.
25:33It is qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix
25:36and it is nervy.
25:37Look how wet it still is as they exit pit lane.
25:40But out on the racetrack now,
25:42should be a dry line.
25:43Will there be an advantage
25:45for the likes of Ralf Fernandes and Enea Bastianini
25:47who've come through Q1?
25:49Or will the top guns be able to
25:53take their shot at pole position today?
25:56Jorge MartÃn is the rider leading them out there.
26:00He's testing the waters.
26:02It can't be easy when you're in the position
26:04that he and Peco Bagnani are in.
26:06We felt it.
26:07We were watching the press conference
26:09on Thursday together
26:11and we both said the same thing.
26:13They just are putting almost a blank face on things.
26:17Just know any slight mistake
26:20at any point in a race weekend
26:22could be the end of their championship.
26:24And these are the sessions
26:25because you can't take your time.
26:27You can't build into it.
26:29You have to attack.
26:30You've got to ride to the limit.
26:32You've got to ride slightly over the limit
26:34if you want to get on those first two rolls.
26:36It is an old-school track.
26:37There are plenty of overtaking opportunities.
26:39But it's always tight on a first lap
26:41down to Turn 4.
26:43So you want to be on those first two rolls.
26:46Otherwise, you're in the danger zone.
26:48Brave for MartÃn up high on the kerb
26:50out to the final corner.
26:52Down towards Turn 1, you'll feel the wind gusting.
26:55And it looks like he caught him.
26:56He's wider than he would like to be in there.
26:58But a 50 pence piece Turn 1 as well.
27:00But that's him adapting on the first lap
27:03to the wind.
27:04Everyone else pretty much gone
27:05with a medium or soft front.
27:07He's gone with that hard front tyre.
27:09Stability, yes.
27:10But that's going to take some activating.
27:13The track temperature may be
27:14just about 20 degrees now.
27:16But the air temperature is cool.
27:18And there is a brisk wind breezing through.
27:21Oh.
27:22Yes, and that's more what happened
27:23into Turn 1, I think, for MartÃn.
27:24He's got that hard front on.
27:25And the very first time you throw it into Turn 1,
27:28there's not many right-hand corners.
27:30You know that side of the track.
27:31It's a softer compound.
27:32But you know it's not up to temperature.
27:34It's asymmetric.
27:35Asymmetric front tyre.
27:36Here in Saxonring, the two other places
27:38where you get that tyre,
27:39that means it is that little bit softer
27:42on the right-hand side of the tyre.
27:44But still, on the left, then,
27:46it's rock hard in theory.
27:48Exactly in theory.
27:50So I think this is the favourite for Polvo.
27:54Fastest in every session.
27:56Tricky, cool track.
27:58A little bit windy.
27:59Got to risk everything.
28:01It's got MartÃn all over it, hasn't it?
28:031'29.397 was Raúl Fernández's lap
28:07coming through from Q1.
28:09Again, over that patch.
28:12Whether it's a weeper
28:14or a place where a standing water sits,
28:17basically a puddle on the track.
28:19And it's just keeping it damper,
28:21that bit longer between 11 and 12.
28:23But already MartÃn, a 1'29 from him.
28:26Much better into Turn 1 this time, though.
28:28Really aggressive.
28:30Carried corner speed into it.
28:32So this next lap will be much better for Jorge MartÃn.
28:35Pole position here last year by 0.4 of a second.
28:37Let's not forget, he loves this track.
28:39Ooh, there's a yellow flag down there.
28:41It's one of the R46 bikes at Turn 1.
28:44Not sure whether it's Berzecchi or the Gian Antonio.
28:46Maybe Marco Berzecchi.
28:49But yellow flags down there.
28:51And it's Digi.
28:52It's actually Digi who's gone down there.
28:54Will have missed the last two races of the season,
28:56but looks like dust as well.
28:58So that means it would be a crash.
29:00They are horrible.
29:01We're talking 120, but you're scrubbing off
29:04from 200 miles an hour.
29:06Yeah, well, in the braking zone,
29:08the actual top speed is 221 miles an hour.
29:12And I'd say the average is probably about,
29:14I'm going to say, round about 215,
29:16just a little bit under every time you get to that braking zone.
29:21Let's hope Digi's OK.
29:22He's already going under the surgeon's knife
29:25after the Thai Grand Prix.
29:28And it sounded like Andrea Iannone
29:30might be replacing him.
29:31We'll see on that one.
29:32Lots of riders have had their laps taken away
29:34because of that yellow flag.
29:35But these riders got through ahead of Digi.
29:38So these could be key laps here
29:40from Jorge Martin.
29:42Yeah.
29:43He looks so committed to Turn 1 on that lap.
29:45He's using the kerbs.
29:46There's bits of water splashing up,
29:48but he isn't bothered.
29:50That's a decent lap time in these conditions.
29:52An excellent lap time, isn't it?
29:54128.3.
29:56And that's not being able to wind up the win
29:59like you normally would through 11 and 12.
30:06I'm not quite sure where we're going there.
30:08Brad Pindar had the switch to the wrong onboard
30:10as he came down into Turn 1.
30:12He's just gone into 5th.
30:14It was not the onboard that was the bike in the garage.
30:16Yeah.
30:17You see the sea in the background now.
30:19Blue skies around parts of
30:22the Phillip Island racetrack.
30:25Peco Bagnaia,
30:27his lap taken away because of the yellow flag.
30:29And we go again.
30:30Still a long, long way to go in qualifying here
30:33at Phillip Island.
30:34But as it stands, Jorge Martin in line
30:37to take his 7th pole of the year.
30:41Through there.
30:42So nervous.
30:43And you saw Mavic have a couple of goes.
30:44Look at the big damp patch there as well
30:46coming out of the hay shed.
30:48Over the top of Lookie Heights,
30:50down towards MG Corner.
30:52Still damp on the inside of MG.
30:57Here we are into 11.
30:58Just have a look out on the racetrack here.
31:00You might just see there's a faint rain
31:03right through it.
31:04It's about 5 metres wide
31:07as in from start to finish.
31:09And it's across the whole length of the racetrack
31:11where it's been repatched the surface.
31:15Obviously, whenever they've done it new,
31:17it's maybe broken up a little bit early.
31:20And Mavic Piñales has gone even quicker still.
31:23So he's now top of the tree.
31:25But it just feels like it's the pit.
31:28There you see it again from Marc Marquez.
31:30It's taking longer to dry than other places.
31:32You noticed it on your lap of the track yesterday evening.
31:35Yeah, and it had been dry for ages.
31:37But it was still like a huge damp patch.
31:40It feels awful when you go over it.
31:42Marc Marquez up onto the front row.
31:44As things stand, Ralf Fernandez went fourth.
31:46Peco Bagnaia is fifth.
31:50Still haven't seen anything about Dijan Antonio.
31:52What happened to him?
31:54But he didn't ride down pit lane.
31:56So we'll bring you any news we get on Digi
31:59as soon as we have it.
32:02I think most riders are going to come in.
32:03They've had a run at it.
32:06Three flying laps.
32:09Three flying laps.
32:12Well, when we walked into the circuit this morning,
32:15sideways rain.
32:16It was like a haze of mist over the circuit, wasn't it?
32:20Horrible, horrible conditions
32:22as Peco Bagnaia aborts mission
32:24down into the Miller hairpin.
32:26And now we've got the sun bearing down on the circuit.
32:30It was freezing cold earlier today.
32:32Moto3 practice was 11, 12 degrees Celsius.
32:36And now we're told the track temperature
32:38is starting to get towards the 30 degree mark.
32:41And you're surprised?
32:42No, of course not.
32:43This is for the pilot.
32:44I've been coming here long enough.
32:48That's out of turn two into Stoner Corner, turn three.
32:53Watch him sliding through here.
32:55Beautiful.
32:56Someone's had a nice slide on the outside.
32:58Oh, this is a good one.
32:59Look at that.
33:00Perfect.
33:01Just the right amount.
33:03Just to sort of square the corner off.
33:05And then it really improves your angle of attack
33:08for turn four.
33:09The only issue that they've got with that
33:11if they start to switch towards the harder front tyre
33:13is the gripping with that soft rear tyre.
33:19And how it grips and then pushes your front.
33:21We've seen a lot of people, haven't we,
33:22on those slow-mo's.
33:23Yeah.
33:24Almost yawing a little bit
33:26as the soft tyre grips on its edge.
33:28Yeah, that's literally what happens
33:30as it starts to slide.
33:31The rider just eases the power off a little bit.
33:33But that tyre is so grippy.
33:35Then it hooks up, it bites the road
33:37and then sort of transfers the weight onto the front.
33:40It really pushes the bike forward.
33:41We've had some great shots of it this weekend.
33:47One thing about Jorge MartÃn,
33:48he's all commitment, isn't he?
33:50He's all out.
33:51That's part of his armoury.
33:53Yeah, and he's gone up a gear this year.
33:57Still, obviously, there's been mistakes
33:59from both riders, Banyaire and MartÃn.
34:02But as far as the rest of the package,
34:05he is pretty much perfect
34:07in all conditions now, isn't he, Jorge MartÃn?
34:10He doesn't get flustered as much.
34:13I mean, he made that mistake, unfortunately,
34:15for him in Mizano
34:16when it started to rain on the lap
34:18when he decided to come in.
34:20I mean, that was a big mistake.
34:21But apart from that,
34:24he has been very, very impressive.
34:27148 points still to be taken in this championship.
34:3312 of them up for grabs later on this afternoon.
34:39Marquez exits pit lane with five minutes remaining.
34:43Could be a crucial qualifying session
34:47in this championship.
34:48As it stands, Jorge MartÃn is on the front row.
34:51Maverick Vinales in pole.
34:53Jorge MartÃn is on the front row.
34:54Maverick Vinales in pole.
34:56And Peko Banyaire is on the second row in fifth.
35:00Would be disastrous if it ended like that,
35:02but it's not going to end like that, you feel.
35:06Sticking with the hard front.
35:09Jorge MartÃn, this is clearly what he feels
35:12will be set up for the sprint race later.
35:15Marquez definitely said it was the way to go,
35:17just might not be the way to go for a one lap.
35:20Yeah, no, it's...
35:22If you think about it, normally you put the hard front in
35:24and that really helps for braking stability,
35:26but when you're on the side of the tyre,
35:28maybe it doesn't offer as much grip.
35:30This track's not about braking stability.
35:32No, no, it's one of the lowest, isn't it?
35:34We go from somewhere like Motegi where it's the hardest
35:37and this is one of the lowest.
35:38Yeah, so maybe it's slightly surprising
35:41that he'd choose to run that set up for qualifying.
35:47This is not ideal.
35:50Oh, they've got a problem with Peco Bagnaia's bike.
35:53This is not ideal at all.
35:54What's happened?
35:55Four minutes to go.
35:57Has the tyre warmer got stuck on it or something?
36:00I can't quite see.
36:05You've got to keep calm, don't panic.
36:09I couldn't quite see.
36:10No, I couldn't quite see.
36:11Oh, they've got it sorted, that's good.
36:15Whatever problem it was, it's been fixed,
36:18so you're right, just a little bit of calm required.
36:21But that half a minute just leaving now
36:24could be crucial about getting your tyres up to the right temperature
36:27because Jorge Martins is already there.
36:30He's already out and he's already pushing
36:32and he is under Maverick Vinales' lap time.
36:34He has the all-time lap record here of a 1.27.2.
36:38I'm not quite sure they'll be able to do that
36:40with that patch in between 11 and 12.
36:43But still, I think they'll get close to it
36:47but it's risk, isn't it? Major risk.
36:50Martins is out and ready to risk.
36:53Just goes through with over three minutes remaining.
36:56That should give him the chance to do two flying laps.
36:59Yeah, that's where Vinales is going to lose out.
37:02Yeah, maybe a third before them.
37:05Oh, Martins' abort mission.
37:08Don't want to lose the heat in your front tyre though.
37:10You're going to have to keep committing.
37:13Maybe just over a damp patch.
37:18Oh, yeah. Lost the front.
37:20We've seen those, haven't we, up Lukey Heights before?
37:23Yeah. Again, it's a corner.
37:25You've full lean all the way through that part of the track.
37:29It makes you wonder if it was a damp patch though.
37:31They're still pledging them around.
37:33Here is your current pole sitter, Maverick Vinales.
37:36Marc Marcus trying to wheedle himself
37:39a little bit of room on this racetrack.
37:42As Vinales approaches at pace.
37:45Bagnaia went with the hard front tyre.
37:51A little flick now into turn 11.
37:54Can we see from on board the area we're talking about?
37:57No.
37:59Spotlight for Martins.
38:01Two tenths under in the first sector.
38:04Yeah, hard on the brakes now.
38:06Down to the trickiest corner.
38:08First gear off camber.
38:11Bagnaia starts his first flying lap.
38:13So he's going to get two flying laps at least.
38:17Yeah, crossing the line with about 1.45.
38:20Still on the clock.
38:21Should mean he gets two goes at it.
38:23Barring any mistake.
38:26Jorge Martin is motoring.
38:28This is a lap.
38:29This could even be a 26.
38:32Wow, that would be an all-time lap record.
38:34Just look at the conditions we saw here moments ago.
38:38The end of their free practice session.
38:40They were still on wet tyres.
38:42And now with a damp patch on the inside.
38:44Down into MG Corner.
38:45Jorge Martin is really pushing the envelope here.
38:48Get ready though.
38:49Can he get over the tricky part of the track?
38:51This patch there.
38:52Oh, he stands the bike up.
38:54The bike shakes.
38:55What a horrible feeling that is.
38:58Out of the final corner for Jorge Martin.
39:01Could be a huge blow in the championship this one.
39:04If he were to take pole position.
39:05He has just gone down almost the new all-time lap record
39:09by 0.05 seconds outside of last year's pole time.
39:12But is that back-to-back poles here in Australia for Jorge Martin?
39:17I think it might be.
39:18It's not going to be Pekka Banyaira I don't think.
39:20He's got one more go after this.
39:22And there's surely no way he finds another second and a half.
39:25No, and Marquez is halfway around.
39:27And look at his time.
39:28He's miles off really.
39:29So I think it's going to be back-to-back poles.
39:33Well, Jorge Martin has been the pole king around here over the years.
39:38Every time that he's come here, he's been on pole position pretty much.
39:44Banyaira only goes 7th.
39:47But Marquez, is he going to get another go?
39:50Oh, he might do.
39:51Just 5th.
39:54Yeah, he is.
39:55Let's have a look.
39:56We'll see if he comes across the screen.
39:58He's going to need it.
39:59Oh, he just sneaks under.
40:00But he does improve into 3rd.
40:03So he will be...
40:04Well, he and Raul Fernandez will be the last riders across the line.
40:08Everyone else has taken the chequered flag.
40:10Alex Rins has gone into 9th.
40:12Have unfortunately not been able to talk about the Yamaha being in.
40:15But doing well this weekend.
40:17Here in Q2, he's in 9th place.
40:19Ahead of Bastinini and Binder already.
40:22And of course, who has just gone back out onto the circuit.
40:28After a crash at the early part of this session.
40:31Marco Berzecchi can put himself on the front row with this lap.
40:35Marc Marquez, he's off through the first sector.
40:37Berzecchi goes 2nd.
40:38As it stands, Peko Banyaira is on the 3rd row of the grid.
40:41Over Luki Eiksen, down into MG.
40:44Yeah, I'll tell you about Banyaira though.
40:46This could be enough for the front row.
40:48If he can keep it up.
40:50Marc Marquez could be about to go 2nd as well.
40:52Raul Fernandez though, could displace Banyaira from that 2nd row of the grid.
40:56We're going to see now.
40:58As he tiptoes his way on that little patch between 11th and 12th.
41:02Peko Banyaira with the Czech flag out already.
41:05A little technical gremlin mint.
41:07He only got 2 laps.
41:09He goes 5th.
41:10He goes 5th.
41:11As it stands, there is still, well, just Marquez and Fernandez.
41:14He will be 2nd row.
41:16But if Fernandez finishes this lap,
41:19could well put Peko Banyaira back into 6th place.
41:24Marquez comes to the line.
41:25Does he go 2nd?
41:26Yes.
41:27Ahead of Vinales.
41:28Raul Fernandez doesn't improve.
41:30Stays in 6th though.
41:32Great 2nd row for the track house of Brilliant Man.
41:35But it's Jorge MartÃn.
41:37Well, he is incredibly quicker than anybody else.
41:40Like half a second faster than everybody else.
41:43He was 0.4 of a second faster than everybody else last year.
41:46I mean, he absolutely loves this track.
41:4910th point leading the championship.
41:51Starting from pole for the speed race later on today.
41:56And you'd have to say, with what we've seen so far,
41:59it's between him and Marquez for the race.
42:02Poles here 4 times in the past.
42:04In Moto3 in 2017 and 2018.
42:07And then in MotoGP the last 2 years.
42:09That is 3 pole positions in a row for Jorge MartÃn.
42:13He messed it up with the wrong tyre choice last year.
42:16We didn't have a sprint race, remember?
42:18We had a main race on a Saturday afternoon.
42:21Because they heeded the weather forecast,
42:24which blew in on the Sunday.
42:26This time we will get 2 races away, it looks like.
42:29Can MartÃn maximise that pole position
42:32and extend his 10-point advantage in the championship?
42:37I do think it's going to be a head-to-head with him and Marc.
42:41I don't quite think Peco Bagnaia has got the pace for the sprint race.
42:46Before the weekend, Bagnaia talked about
42:482nd would be a good result here.
42:50He almost knew that MartÃn was going to be stronger.
42:53Yes, and what Bagnaia is going to hope is
42:56that you don't get the spoilers like a Marc Marquez
42:59or a Mavic Viñales.
43:01Again, qualified on the front row.
43:03Obviously, I know that means nothing.
43:04There's no guarantees he's going to convert that
43:07into a good result with what we've seen so far this year.
43:10But he's put himself there again.
43:12Back-to-back front rows, as you say, for the Aprilia man.
43:16But Jorge MartÃn has taken his 7th pole position of the season.
43:22Just 0.05s outside of his existing all-time lap record.
43:28And that's with so many damp patches around the race.
43:31Yes, you're not able to use all the kerbs.
43:33They've clipped them in a few parts of the track.
43:37But, for example, normally you come out of a turn 2,
43:39you use all the kerbs there.
43:42Yeah, a bit tough for that.
43:45Again, the questions are asked of him and he responds.
43:57How will Peko Bagnaia be feeling after that, Neil?
43:59Yes, I'm going to say slightly disappointed.
44:02When he sees the gap, he's 1.1s slower than his main rival.
44:08This is where, like I said,