Marco Bezzecchi set the day's best time at 1:26.775, with Raúl Fernández 72 thousandths behind and Ai Ogura fourth 126 thousandths back.
Jorge Martín leads the championship, Marc Márquez is two points back and Marco Bezzecchi trails by 46 points, with five rounds remaining.
EL PAÍS reports the organisers still plan the Middle East round for the first week of November despite the war, while El Periódico says no one has confirmed Doha as a venue.
Repubblica reports temperatures falling by more than 10 degrees from Saturday, 24 October, with rain expected on Saturday and Sunday, 25 October.
Aprilia dominated the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix, the 18th round of the 2026 calendar, on Friday, 23 October. Marco Bezzecchi set the fastest time at 1:26.775 despite a crash, and four Aprilia machines finished in the top five. Raúl Fernández was 72 thousandths of a second behind him, with Ai Ogura fourth 126 thousandths back. Jorge Martín took fifth, while Marc Márquez was the best-placed Ducati rider in third.
Europa Press reported that Márquez led the first session before the Aprilias stepped up in the second, and that no circuit record fell. Further down the order, Bagnaia was 14th, and Zarco and Miller both failed to reach the top ten, according to Repubblica. A red flag interrupted running when an animal crossed the track. EL PAÍS described it as a wallaby, while LaSexta called it a kangaroo and said it had no consequences.
Martín still leads the championship, with Márquez two points behind him and Bezzecchi 46 points back, according to LaSexta and Europa Press. Five rounds remain on the calendar. EL PAÍS reported that the organisers still plan to race in the Middle East in the first week of November despite the war, although the calendar would drop to four rounds if the Qatar event became untenable. El Periódico said no one had yet confirmed whether the series would land in Doha, and that most riders would view its cancellation favourably. The points gap to the leader is shown below.
Data from the article text
Pedro Acosta, who joins Ducati alongside Márquez next season, has said he will not help the Spaniard in the title fight. Speaking to MotoGP, he said:
“There are no friends around. As I have said throughout the season, I will try to get the best result I can until the last day.”
Márquez took a different line, arguing that he would not need help if his pace was strong.
“If you have speed, you don't need team orders.”
Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora gave a short answer when asked about team orders at Phillip Island.
“There are no team orders.”
Forecasters expect colder conditions and heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, according to EL PAÍS and Europa Press. Repubblica reported that temperatures are due to fall by more than 10 degrees from Saturday, 24 October. This is the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, because the event moves to Adelaide in 2027, when it will run on a street circuit that EL PAÍS called controversial. The newspaper also recalled that races at the circuit have been brought forward, postponed or cancelled in the past, and cited the 2015 Márquez and Lorenzo duel, Rossi's 2004 title win over Gibernau and Wayne Gardner's 1989 victory at the track's world championship debut. Rain is forecast for the remaining sessions of the weekend.
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Marco Bezzecchi set the day's best time at Phillip Island on Friday, 23 October, while Aprilia filled four of the top five places. The Australian round is the last MotoGP stop there before the series moves to Adelaide in 2027.
AI text based on reports by EL PAÍS, La Repubblica.it, El Periódico and other publishers. Changed .