Spaniard Jorge Martin has obliterated the lap document at Phillip Island to safe pole place for the Australian Motorbike Grand Prix.
Key factors:
- Martin broke the nine-year lap document held by Jorge Lorenzo
- Marc Marquez completed second in qualifying
- Jack Miller will begin eighth on the grid
The Ducati rider topped the mark set by legendary countryman Jorge Lorenzo again in 2013 with a blistering qualifying lap on Saturday.
Martin — who had by no means raced on the Victorian circuit till Friday — clocked a lap of 1 minute and 27.767 seconds to assert pole forward of resurgent MotoGP icon Marc Marquez.
“He (Lorenzo) will not be tremendous blissful, however for positive it is time to beat these information as a result of the bikes are a lot sooner now,” Martin mentioned.
“I used to be a bit misplaced [on Friday] as a result of this monitor is so quick, so first time right here, however at present I had an excellent tempo.”
Six-time champion Marquez additionally beat Lorenzo’s earlier document regardless of struggling a scare halfway by means of the session.
Marquez pulled off a masterful save, retaining his Honda upright after wanting set to crash, earlier than steering the bike into the grass.
A 3-time Australian GP winner, Marquez is the reigning champion at Phillip Island after taking the chequered flag the final time the race was staged again in 2019.
Title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo certified in third and fifth respectively.
Australian Jack Miller will begin his residence GP from eighth on the grid regardless of a formidable session, the primary since flip 4 on the famed circuit was named in his honour on Saturday.
The in-form Miller is seeking to breakthrough for his first MotoGP win on residence soil after ending third within the race three years in the past.
AAP
