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Marquez Tops Incident-Packed Opening Practice for Australian MotoGP

Aprilia’s strong pace and forecast rain could tighten the title fight, with Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin separated by just 2 points.

  • On Friday, Ducati rider Marc Marquez topped FP1 at the Australian MotoGP in Phillip Island with a blistering 1m26.901s lap, putting immediate pressure on his Aprilia title rivals.
  • The historic Phillip Island circuit hosts its final MotoGP this weekend before the race moves to a street circuit in Adelaide next year, marking the end of an era since 1997.
  • Home rider Jack Miller suffered a high-speed crash estimated at 185–190 km/h during FP1, while separate red flags halted the session for a stray wallaby and a rider collision.
  • Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi finished Friday's Practice fastest with a 1m26.775s lap, while championship leader Jorge Martin holds a razor-thin two-point lead over Marquez heading into the weekend.
  • Sunday's grand prix faces up to 15–30mm of rain forecast, potentially forcing teams to abandon slick tyre conservation strategies and adopt aggressive approaches at the historic waterfront venue.
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60 Articles

7NEWS Australia7NEWS Australia
+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Center

Aussie MotoGP home hero crashes moments after setting new fastest lap

The 31-year-old went to the top of the leaderboard and instantly copped a ‘washing machine crash’.

·Australia
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Sydney Morning HeraldSydney Morning Herald
+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Lean Left

Aussie emerges unscathed after brutal crash

Australia's Jack Miller walks out unscathed after a brutal high-speed crash at his home Grand Prix.

·North Sydney, Australia
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France24France24
+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Center

Marquez tops incident-packed opening practice for Australian MotoGP

World champion Marc Marquez topped the timesheets in an incident-packed first practice at the Australian MotoGP on Friday ahead of Raul Fernandez and Jack Miller who both took nasty tumbles.

·Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
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informacion.esinformacion.es
+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Center

Face to face, they are the two great favorites, they only separate two points in favor of the Madridian Jorge Martín (Aprilia) against the Catalan Marc Márquez (Ducati). They are two champions, ‘Martinator’ was in 2024 in a hard fight with the Italian Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Ducati), he also drove, then, a ‘Desmosedici’. Márquez adds up to seven titles of the maximum category, six with Honda and, the last, perhaps the one he values most for b…

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Motorcycle Sports broke the news on Friday, October 16, 2026.
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