Jorge
Jorge

2023 Australian MotoGP: Friday practice - LIVE UPDATES

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia takes an 18-point lead over Jorge Martin into the Australian Grand Prix, after the Pramac Ducati rider’s costly fall from the lead at Ma🌄nda💛lika last weekend.

Marco Bezzecchi's Indonesian heroics, a week after breaking his (💫right) collarbone, means the VR46 rider has closed to 45 points from Martin. Team-mate Luca Marini, who took a debut pole position at Mandalika, also expects the condition of his broken (left) collarbone to be slightly improved.

After backing out of a planned comeback in Indonesia due to pain from his recently fractured ribs, Alex Marquez will try again at Phillip Island - meaning all 22 riders could line up☂ for the Saturday&💦nbsp;Sprint for the first time since the Portimao season opener.

Nonetheless, last year's Phillip Island winner Alex Rin🐠s is still recovering from leg fractures and Enea Bastianini from han✅d and ankle injuries.

Marc Marqu💎ez took his only podium of the season in Australia last year.

While decent weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, wind gusts reaching as high as 80km/h are currently predicted for Sunday, prompting speculation of possible schedule c꧃hanges.

06:03
Friday practice is finished as Binder reigns supreme

Binder tops 🐭Practice 2 ahead of Miller, Vinales, Martin and P. Espargaro. 

06:01

Bagnaia will nee☂d to go t💃hrough Q1. He's just missed out on the top ten. 

05:58

Binder goes top with a sub ༺1m 28s lap. Stunni꧒ng pace from the KTM man. 

05:51

Bagnaia is really struggling. He's gone quicker but is only 14th. Sector two and three is where the Italian is losing huge time to Marti🐬n. 

05:48

Martin goes top! Stunᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚning lap from the title contender. Bagnaia is currently 19th. 

05:47

It's a factory👍ও Aprilia 1-2 as Vinales goes quickest for the first time in Practice 2.

05:44

And he does just that. Espargaro has gone top by over four tenths and sets the first sub 1🥂m 29s lap of the weekend.&n𝔍bsp;

05:44

Aleix꧙ Espargaro is abou🐻t to destory Zarco's time...

05:39

It's not Joahhn Zarco who has g🧜one qui༒ckest for Pramac Ducati. 

05:38

Top spot has finally changed hands as Fabio Di Giannantonioꦏ has gone🐼 quickest by just -0.006s of a second. 

05:35

Fabio Quartararo is also showing good speed with the soft rear🐓 as he moves up to third spot. 

05:25

Vinaꦗles has a new soft rear tyre fitted to his faꦜctory Aprilia bike. 

05:25

Some very fast laps are coming in with just ꦰunder 40 minutes 🐽remaining as Maverick Vinales goes second. 

05:21
Marquez is down for the 25th time this season

Crash for Marc Marquez at turn ten💝. The Honda rider lost the front-end after neary saving it. 

05:17

Binder is still fastest after improving❀ his time▨ once again, but it's not Marco Bezzecchi that is second. 

05:09

The KTM's are showing very good pace a🌺t the start🌊 of Practice 2 as Binder leads the way from Pol Espargaro and Jack Miller.

05:00

Good morning and welcome back to Friday practice at the Australian MotoGP. Practice 2 is underway at Phillip 🍌Island. 

04:22

For those following Moto2 Practice 2, the reason for the red flags i✤s to clear some large geese from the t💧rack at Turn 6!

01:31

FP🌳1 ends with Jorge Martin fastest byꩲ 0.720s from Augusto Fernandez with Maverick Vinales in third.

01:30

Martin improves ag🎃ain, while Augusto Fernandez impresses again ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚby moving into second but is 0.720s behind the Pramac Ducati.

01:30

(The rest of theไ field are still on medium rear tyres)