Marc Marquez taking pole position at Phillip Island is nothing new, but it was not easy today for the 2018 MotoGP World Champion to secure his fifth  consecutive pole at the track (equalling Casey Stoner’s five poles in a row).

Tricky weather conditions, including occasional rain, low temperatures and cold wind, made the search for bike setup challenging and the track conditions demanding.

Marc, wearing gloves and boots in Mick Doohan’s colors as a tribute to the Aussie legend, was able to choose exactly the best moment to push, and his 1’29.199” lap time proved to be untouchable in the final minutes of the session.

Dani Pedrosa failed to earn a spot in Q2 and will start from the sixth row of the grid in the Australian Grand Prix, which will begin tomorrow at 4 p.m. local time, 6 a.m. Central European time.

With a 47-point lead in the Constructors Championship and three races remaining in the season, Honda have the chance to clinch their 24th Constructors Title tomorrow.

Marc Marquez

Pole Position 1'29.199

“Pole position today was quite difficult, and it was especially tricky to understand when it was the right time to push. The light rain that was falling wasn’t strong enough to wet the tarmac, but when you see the little drops on your visor and windscreen, things become a bit scary at this track. As soon as I realized that the drizzle had stopped, I did a good lap that was enough to be on pole for tomorrow. At the moment, I’m able to be fast and close to the top riders, but honestly speaking, I’m not feeling as comfortable as I would like. We were able to improve over the weekend and our mentality remains positive like always, but we don’t know exactly what to expect from tomorrow’s race. We saw many crashes and we crashed as well, and the weather is very unpredictable. Tyre choice will be important, as will understanding that it’s not an on-off situation—we have the Constructors and Team Championships to think of, and if it’s not possible to win, then it’s time to look for the podium.”

Dani Pedrosa

18th 1'30.770

“It has been a very difficult day due to the track conditions and the strong wind. I didn’t have a good feeling, especially in the fast corners in the first and third sectors. I struggled to keep the wheel down on the ground; I kind of felt as if I were sailing. I couldn’t really use the corner speed, and that was a problem at this track, which is all about corner speed and lean angle. I wasn’t riding very well and did very bad in qualifying. I just hope it’s a bit less windy tomorrow and we can do better than today.”

MotoGP 2018
Qualifying Round 17   Australia

Qualifying Classification

Mixed
Humidity
77%
Track Temp
25°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)