The opening day of the Australian Grand Prix took place in cool but dry conditions, allowing the riders to start the work on the setup of their bikes in preparation for tomorrow’s qualifying.

After setting the quickest lap time in the FP1 session, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez concluded the day in second position, just 0.005” down on provisional pole-setter Aleix Espargaro.

Marquez’s teammate Dani Pedrosa improved his speed throughout the day and finished ninth in the combined times, less than half a second from the top.

Marc Marquez

2nd 1'29.230

“I’m happy with today because we started with a good base setup in FP1 and I immediately felt good on the bike. Our pace was fast and we were able to do some good work with the tyres. Anyway, I think for tomorrow we can try and further improve the setup, especially the stability of the bike in the fast corners. There are a few places where we could be quicker if we can manage to take another step in that area. The temperature was cold and the wind was quite strong, and sometimes it almost made the front fold. But that’s normal here at this track, and you must try to find a compromise with the setup in order to minimize these factors.”

Dani Pedrosa

9th 1'29.702

“Well, today was a little bit difficult to immediately find the right setting. We tried a few things, but we still have margin to improve. We were able to try a few tyres but we still have to make a few adjustments on the setup. In the afternoon the asphalt was a bit warmer than in the morning, but the wind and the cloudy skies made the temperature colder. For the moment we’re suffering a bit too much spinning and we have to improve the front feeling. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be able to take a step forward.”

MotoGP 2017
Practice Round 16   Australia

Free Practice Results

Dry
Humidity
62%
Track Temp
29°C
Air Temp
15°C
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
Location Information

Phillip Island, the self-styled home of Australian motorsport, is steeped in motor racing tradition, with the first car races having been held there on public roads in the 1920s. The first motorcycle races took place in 1931 and a permanent track was built in 1956. The circuit fell into disrepair… read more.

Length 4.448 kilometres / 2.764 miles
Width 13 metres
Left corners 7
Right corners 5
Longest straight 0.900 kilometres / 0.559 miles
Constructed 1956
Modified 1988

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Phillip Island, Ventnor, Victoria, Australia - View in Google Maps

www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

Records

Pole Position 1m 27.246s (183.5 km/h) Jorge Martin (Ducati, 2023)
Race Lap 1m 28.108s (181.7 km/h) Marc Marquez (Honda, 2013)
Race Time 40m 33.849s (177.6 km/h) Marc Marquez (Honda, 2015)
2023 Race Winner Johann Zarco (Ducati)