Marc Márquez made an impressive start to the 2026 Australian Grand Prix weekend, topping Friday morning’s opening MotoGP free practice session at Phillip Island.
The factory Ducati rider recorded a fastest lap of 1:27.985 in the closing stages, moving ahead of his rivals despite using tyres that had already completed several laps.
It was a particularly encouraging performance considering that several competitors had fitted fresh rubber for their final time attacks.
Raúl Fernández finished second on his Trackhouse Aprilia, just 0.048 seconds behind Márquez, while home favourite Jack Miller secured third place despite suffering a heavy crash late in the session.
Márquez Beats Fernández with Used Tyres
The opening practice session took place in favourable weather conditions, with clear skies, relatively high temperatures and winds that still challenged riders through Phillip Island’s fastest sections.
Aprilia riders were particularly competitive during the early stages, with Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Martín and Raúl Fernández all featuring near the top of the timesheets.
Márquez initially concentrated on race pace and tyre management rather than chasing an outright lap time.
That approach paid off in the closing minutes.
With Fernández appearing set to finish fastest, the Ducati rider produced a lap of 1:27.985, becoming the only competitor to break the 1:28 barrier.
Remarkably, the time was achieved on medium tyres that had already completed 19 laps.
The performance provided a promising indication of Márquez’s potential over longer runs ahead of the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Miller Impresses on Yamaha Before Turn 1 Crash
Jack Miller was one of the standout performers in FP1, particularly motivated by his final home Grand Prix at Phillip Island before the event moves to Adelaide in 2027.
The Australian Pramac Yamaha rider surprised his rivals in the closing stages, briefly moving to the top of the standings with a lap of 1:28.120.
However, his session ended dramatically just moments later.
Entering the extremely fast Turn 1, named after Australian racing legend Mick Doohan, Miller lost the front of his Yamaha and slid into the run-off area at high speed.
His motorcycle sustained significant damage, but the Australian was able to get back to his feet without any immediately apparent injuries.
Despite the incident, his earlier lap was enough to secure third place, just 0.135 seconds behind Márquez.
The result was an encouraging sign for Yamaha after a challenging season.
Fernández, Binder and Lecuona Encounter Problems
The opening session featured several incidents across the field.
Raúl Fernández crashed at Siberia Corner, raising concerns about the hand injury he had sustained during the previous round in Indonesia.
However, the Trackhouse rider managed to return to the circuit on his second motorcycle and gradually improved his lap times to finish second overall.
Iker Lecuona also suffered a crash while riding the Gresini Ducati as a replacement for the injured Fermín Aldeguer.
The Spaniard lost control of his motorcycle in the same sector, with the Ducati bouncing off the barriers before coming dangerously close to the racing surface.
Fortunately, Lecuona escaped without injury.
Brad Binder, meanwhile, encountered a technical problem rather than a crash.
The South African’s KTM suffered an apparent engine failure along the main straight, producing a substantial cloud of white smoke.
Binder subsequently returned to the track on his second motorcycle and finished the session in 11th position.
Bezzecchi Fourth, Martín Seventh as Bagnaia Struggles
Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth on the factory Aprilia, 0.293 seconds behind Márquez.
The Italian confirmed the RS-GP’s competitiveness around Phillip Island following his victory at the previous Indonesian Grand Prix.
Álex Márquez secured fifth place for Gresini Ducati, ahead of Pedro Acosta on the KTM.
Championship leader Jorge Martín, who arrived in Australia holding a narrow two-point advantage over Marc Márquez, completed the session in seventh position.
The Aprilia rider did not pursue an outright lap time during the final minutes, instead concentrating on preparations for the remainder of the weekend.
Ai Ogura, Fabio Quartararo and Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top ten.
It was a much more difficult start for Francesco Bagnaia.
The factory Ducati rider finished only 18th, 1.677 seconds slower than teammate Márquez.
The significant gap highlighted the difficulties the Italian encountered while adapting his Desmosedici to the characteristics of the Australian circuit.
MotoGP Australian Grand Prix 2026: FP1 Results
| Pos. | Rider | Manufacturer | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Márquez | Ducati | 1:27.985 |
| 2 | Raúl Fernández | Aprilia | +0.048 |
| 3 | Jack Miller | Yamaha | +0.135 |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia | +0.293 |
| 5 | Álex Márquez | Ducati | +0.300 |
| 6 | Pedro Acosta | KTM | +0.449 |
| 7 | Jorge Martín | Aprilia | +0.453 |
| 8 | Ai Ogura | Aprilia | +0.635 |
| 9 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | +0.803 |
| 10 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Ducati | +0.967 |
Phillip Island Weekend Continues with Friday Practice
The Australian Grand Prix programme continues with Friday afternoon’s Practice session, which will determine the ten riders who qualify directly for Q2.
Márquez heads into the next session with encouraging indications, particularly after setting the fastest lap without switching to fresh tyres.
However, Aprilia has demonstrated strong pace with several riders, while Miller’s performance suggests Yamaha could be competitive in front of the Australian crowd.
Weather conditions will also remain an important factor, with forecasts predicting deterioration over Saturday and Sunday that could affect the weekend schedule.
The championship battle between Márquez and Martín has only just begun at Phillip Island, but the opening session has given the Ducati rider an early advantage.