Spectacular Saturday MotoGP race at Phillip Island sees first time winner

MotoGP 2023

Round 16 – Australia Grand Prix
Saturday

MotoGP Race Report

(Full 27 lap race brought forward to Saturday)

Jorge Martin had obliterated his own lap record at Phillip Island during the qualifying session, a 1m27.246 half-a-second under the previous benchmark, and four-tenths quicker than second placed man Brad Binder could muster. Pecco Bagnaia had rounded out the front row but was still quietly confident that he could take the race to Martin due to the work he had done on tyre longevity.

Aleix Epsargaro headed the second row alongside Johann Zarco and the resurgent Fabio Di Giannantonio while, thanks to a tow from Bagnaia, Marc Marquez fronted row three alongside Jack Miller and Marco Bezzecchi.  Miller’s last fast run spoiled by Aleix Espargaro at Southern Loop, while Marco Bezzecchi stated the lower temperatures today had sent him back to the drawing board somewhat.

Due to the forecast for strong winds and rain on Sunday, the 27-lap race originally schedule for Sunday had been brought forward to Saturday at 1510, while the Saturday Sprint Race had been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon, weather permitting.  The Sunday schedule has also been brought forward an hour, in order to try and beat the arrival of the weather. The Sunday program now has the Sprint Race slated for 1300, the Moto2 contest at 1115, and Moto3 at 1000.

And talking of weather, a few small sprinkles of precipitation had drifted over the circuit a couple of times in the lead up to the race getting underway. There was little on the radar, but the feeling in the air was that a minor shower might indeed be possible at any time.

Most riders had plumped for a hard front to aid braking stability, and a medium rear. A few were taking a risk on the soft, including pole-man Jorge Martin, aiming to leave the field for dead and then manage the gap to the end of the contest… Marc Marquez also made a late switch to a soft rear.

Jorge Martin capitalised on pole position to lead the field through Southern Loop, chased by Brad Binder, Pecco Bagnaia, Jack Miller and Fabio Di Giannantonio.  Aleix Espargaro and Johann Zarco clashed which saw them lose a couple of position as Marc Marquez moved up to sixth. Fabio Quartararo had trouble with his holeshot device not disengaging which spoiled the start of the contest for the Yamaha man.

By the end of lap one Martin led the field by just under half-a-second, Binder the next man as Jack Miller passed Bagnaia for third. Bagnaia then got back past Miller but the Aussie was then relegated further by Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez.

Fabio Di Giannantonio then moved past defending champ Pecco Bagnaia for third place. These tussles had allowed Martin and Binder to pull further way, Martin leading Binder by six-tenths, the South African then had a full-second on third placed Di Giannantonio. Zarco had made a number of passes to move up to fifth place right behind Bagnaia. Miller sixth and Marquez seventh, four laps down.

Once clear of Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio streaked away with apparent ease. The Gresini Racing man a second quicker than the Factory Ducati rider to pull away, but second placed Brad Binder was 1.7-seconds further up the road, while leader Martin was 1.3-seconds ahead of Binder… The front runners really started stretching out, but would they come back to the pack once the tyres went away…?

Johann Zarco and Marc Marquez were having a tussle over fifth place, which was benefitting fourth placed Bagnaia. Miller was right on the tail of Zarco and Marquez, Aleix Espargaro there also.

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Zarco eventually managed to break away from Marquez and then started to chase down Bagnaia.

With 20 laps to run Martin led Binder by two-seconds. Di Giannantonio was 1.3-seconds behind Binder, and 1.6-seconds clear of Bagnaia, who was now being hounded by Zarco. Two laps later Martin led by 2.5-seconds…

Joan Mir went down with 17-laps to run after clipping the back of Luca Marini at turn four. The Yamaha pairing of Quartararo and Morbidelli were languishing down in 18th and 19th place. Augusto Fernandez then went down.

Jack Miller then started to work his way back towards the front, picking off Marc Marquez and then Aleix Espargaro to move back up to sixth place. With 14 laps to run Martin led Binder by 3.4-seconds, while Di Giannantonio had trimmed Binder’s advantage down to six-tenths, and was being chased hard by Bagnaia and Zarco.  Marc Marquez was now starting to be shuffled back down the order after starting on the soft rear.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was certainly not saving his rear tyre, painting some lurid Michelin lines to close on Binder.  He made his move past the South African with nine laps to run, up the inside at turn one and he maintained the advantage through Southern Loop. A bit over half-a-second further behind were Bagnaia and Zarco. The race was on for the podium positions, but the top step looked done and dusted with Martin still leading more than three-seconds, while less than a second covered second through fifth.

Jorge Martin’s soft rear looked to be going away from him as the race wore on, Fabio Di Giannantonio pulled four-tenths out of him with seven laps to run, and still had Binder, Zarco and Bagnaia in close company.

Brad Binder squeezed past Di Giannantonio at furn four with five laps to run. The battle between the quartet started hotting up, which would only play into the hands of race leader Jorge Martin, his lead now down to two-seconds though…

Johann Zarco took third place from Di Giannantonio at turn one with three laps to go. Martin’s lead over Binder down to 1.65-seconds…

Martin then started to lose a tenth through almost every split… His lead down to 1.3-seconds with two laps to run… His rear Michelin pasting its rubber all over the place…

Johann Zarco took second place from Binder at turn four which stood the KTM man up. Bagnaia then slipped past Di Giannantonio at Hayshed… Martin’s lead down to under a second…

As they started the last lap Martin’s lead had been trimmed further to four-tenths, then it was a bike length, then Zarco through to the lead at turn four, then Bagnaia forced his way part Martin too!

Zarco the leader through Hayshed…. Di Giannantonio passes Martin before Lukey Heights… Zarco leads through ten, 11 and onto the main straight….

Zarco the winner from Bagnaia, Di Gianntonio third, Brad Binder fourth and Martin fifth, after leading at the last lap board… It would have been the perfect strategy if the race was one lap shorter, but alas it was not to be.

Marco Bezzecchi was a further eight-seconds down in sixth place ahead of Jack Miller and Aleix Espargaro.  Alex Marquez ninth and Enea Bastianini rounded out the top ten ahead of Maverick Vinales.

Johann Zarco celebrated with his trademark back-flip, just as a few spots of rain started to fall in pit-lane. The Frenchman’s maiden MotoGP victory, becoming the 120th different premier class winner in what was his 120th premier class race. It was also the 99th win by a French rider.

The win for Zarco is the 13th for Ducati so far this season, which is also the Bologna factory’s record for a single MotoGP season. Zarco is also the 13th winner in the premier class with Ducati.

Ducati is on a streak of 42 MotoGP Grand Prix races in a row with at least one rider on the podium. This is Ducati’s 33rd podium so far this season, which is a new record for the Bologna factory in a single MotoGP season.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was perhaps even more elated with his third place while Bagnaia was pumped with extending his championship lead over Jorge Martin out to 27-points.

Zarco’s win helps Prima Pramac Ducati pull away further in the Teams Championship, 526 points puts them comfortably ahead of Mooney VR46 on 441, and the Factory Ducati Team on 418. Repsol Honda is last…

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation claimed an estimated attendance of 32,450. The highest Saturday attendance since 2012, Casey Stoner’s last Phillip Island event.

The Sprint Race is scheduled to get underway at 1300 on Sunday, and if today was anything to go by, it should be a cracker. However, the shorter distance would on today’s form see Jorge Martin smoke the field… Unless the rain arrives early….

MotoGP Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points

Moto2 Qualifying

Following his incredible form in Practice, Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) did not disappoint in qualifying Down Under. The Spaniard set a new record to take pole position in the intermediate category with a scintillating 1:31.888, and joining him on the front row will be Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) after the Valencian put in a stellar performance to take P2. The polesitter’s teammate Alonso Lopez, winner last year at Phillip Island, made it two Boscoscuros in the top three as Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is set to start fifth.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) just missed out on a front-row start by only 0.012s as he took P4, just ahead of Acosta. The pair will be joined by Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) on the outside of Row 2 after he bagged 6th place. The third row of the grid went to rookie Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), second in the Championship Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team), and Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna IntactGP) in that order, with Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) rounding out the top ten.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto2 Championship Points

Moto3 Qualifying

Qualifying at the MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix went the way of Championship hopeful Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider grabbed the honours from home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) in third. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) will start from down in P13, with challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) only two places further ahead on the grid.

Winner last time out, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) missed out on the front row by 0.105s as he’s set to head Row 2 ahead of Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) fronts Row 3 in seventh place as he’s joined by David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), who also crashed in Q2, rider ok, and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). Replacement rider Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) rounds out the top 10 ahead of Holgado, with Masia in P13.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Championship Points

(Updated – again) Australian Grand Prix Schedule
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