Photo courtesy MotoGP.com
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) went quickest in first practice at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, as the rainy conditions from Moto3 FP1 continued – and then deteriorated. Crutchlow took the top spot before the rain got harder, and remained P1 ahead of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich).
Home hero Jack Miller was spectacular through the final corner as his Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS machine moved him up into P4, with the Assen winner slotting in ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the new champion of the world got back on track. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro were sixth, seventh and eighth, with Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) ending the session in P9.
Dani Pedrosa’s replacement Nicky Hayden rode the Repsol Honda machine for the first time since 2008 in FP1, with the 2006 MotoGP World Champion completing the top ten.
Later in the day FP2 was cancelled due to conditions. Sections of the track were flooded.
A revised Saturday schedule is expected to be issued.
MICHELIN® AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification
Phillip Island, Friday, October 21, 2016
| 1 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda | Honda | 300.1 | 1’40.957 | |
| 2 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | OCTO Pramac Yakhnich | Ducati | 309.8 | 1’41.010 | 0.053 / 0.053 |
| 3 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 315.2 | 1’41.457 | 0.500 / 0.447 |
| 4 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 300.9 | 1’41.511 | 0.554 / 0.054 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 314.6 | 1’41.569 | 0.612 / 0.058 |
| 6 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 317.4 | 1’41.813 | 0.856 / 0.244 |
| 7 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 311.6 | 1’42.465 | 1.508 / 0.652 |
| 8 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 295.0 | 1’42.956 | 1.999 / 0.491 |
| 9 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 304.2 | 1’43.012 | 2.055 / 0.056 |
| 10 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | GER | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 290.0 | 1’43.070 | 2.113 / 0.058 |
| 11 | 68 | Yonny HERNANDEZ | COL | Pull & Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 291.8 | 1’43.132 | 2.175 / 0.062 |
| 12 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | OCTO Pramac Yakhnich | Ducati | 287.0 | 1’43.314 | 2.357 / 0.182 |
| 13 | 7 | Mike JONES | AUS | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 289.2 | 1’43.483 | 2.526 / 0.169 |
| 14 | 76 | Loris BAZ | FRA | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 291.1 | 1’44.176 | 3.219 / 0.693 |
| 15 | 53 | Tito RABAT | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 297.1 | 1’44.178 | 3.221 / 0.002 |
| 16 | 50 | Eugene LAVERTY | IRL | Pull & Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 291.8 | 1’44.181 | 3.224 / 0.003 |
| 17 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 300.5 | 1’44.551 | 3.594 / 0.370 |
| 18 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 304.0 | 1’44.792 | 3.835 / 0.241 |
| 19 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 286.7 | 1’45.651 | 4.694 / 0.859 |
| 20 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 308.2 | 1’47.225 | 6.268 / 1.574 |
| 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 263.7 | 1’49.008 | 8.051 / 1.783 |
