Marc Marquez takes Australian Grand Prix pole after crash in wet qualifying
The Ducati rider recovered from a Turn 4 fall to lead qualifying at Phillip Island, while championship leader Jorge Martin took fourth.
Marc Marquez took pole for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on 24 October after crashing early in wet qualifying, putting him at the front of the grid while championship leader Jorge Martin qualified fourth. Marquez’s best lap of 1:34.203 came on his second Ducati after a Turn 4 fall in the final qualifying session.
How Marquez recovered from the Turn 4 crash
Overnight showers had left the circuit wet, and fresh rain at the start of the second qualifying session made conditions more difficult, Motorsport.com reported. Marquez fell about three minutes into the session before recording a lap time, then brought his damaged bike back through the service lane and went out on his spare machine.
Marquez said he had made a mistake at Turn 4 but that his team had the other bike ready, according to Reuters. He said he tried to regain the feeling he had in free practice before committing fully on his final lap. The time gave him his fourth pole of the season.
His brother Alex Marquez, riding for Gresini, qualified second, 1.493 seconds behind him. Johann Zarco of LCR Honda took third after progressing through the first qualifying session. Zarco had briefly regained the top spot with a 1:35.706 lap before Marc Marquez’s final run, Motorsport.com reported.
What the grid means for the title contenders
Martin was the fastest Aprilia rider in fourth, ahead of home rider Jack Miller in fifth. Miller had topped the first qualifying session. Martin’s teammate Marco Bezzecchi qualified ninth, leaving both Aprilia riders behind Marquez on the grid.
Reuters reported that Martin led Marquez by two points in the championship before the Australian round, 355 to 353, with five rounds remaining including this event. Bezzecchi was third on 309 points. Their qualifying positions give Marquez a chance to cut Martin’s lead, though the points gap remains the pre-race standing.
The Australian Grand Prix is due to leave Phillip Island after this season and move to the streets of Adelaide next year, Reuters reported. That makes this the circuit’s final scheduled edition of the event, with Marquez set to start its race from pole.
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Sources and context
- Marquez shrugs off crash to take pole at wet Australian Grand PrixChannel NewsAsia, reporting credited to Reuters
- MotoGP Australian GP: Marc Marquez recovers from crash to take pole at wet Phillip IslandMotorsport.com (article by Rachit Thukral; hosted by Yahoo Sports)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.