2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Friday Results
The usual ultra-close Phillip Island MotoGP race seemed well on the cards, with the top ten on the first day of free practice all within one second, and the top five inside half of that.
The names kept changing too, after the premier class escaped the threat of morning rain, then got faster in the afternoon.
2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Friday Results
By the end of the final delayed session, soon-to-be-ex Suzuki rider Andrea Iannone had taken to the top; with independent-team rider Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) joining him at the end of the session.
At the same time, morning leader Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) put in a strong challenge to slot into third, just hundredths slower than Petrucci, and barely two tenths off the top time.
The strength of Suzuki and Yamaha were a reminder that the fast and flowing seaside circuit rewards riding technique and good handling more than sheer speed. At the same time, the improved factory Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso was good enough to put him on top for a spell, before he ended up fourth. His title challenge was badly blunted here last year when the best he could manage was 13th in the race.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Castrol) was the top Honda, fifth-fastest; but the Briton was stretchered off clutching his right leg after a heavy crash, putting in jeopardy his bid to be remain top independent-team rider in the championship – a position he is disputing with Petrucci
New champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) ended up seventh, behind Johann Zarco’s independent Monster Yamaha.
Marquez had a couple of his trade-mark saves, but was unable to intervene in the morning when the front wheel abruptly let go as he changed direction under downhill braking for the Turn Ten hairpin.
He emerged unhurt from a crash that had made it look as though the track was wet. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa also crashed, in the morning at the fast Turn One, and was likewise lucky to escape injury.
With uncertain weather the most predictable conditions on the island south of Melbourne today’s top ten might easily determine which riders make it straight into Q2.
Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) was a strong eighth; then second Ecstar Suzuki rider Alex Rins, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) hanging in to the top ten by four hundredths of a second from Monster Yamaha’s rookie Hafizh Syahrin.
Alvaro Bautista, riding the absent-injured Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Ducati, had a difficult day, ending up 15th after an electronic failure ruled out one bike in the morning and for the rest of the day, and he crashed the other after completing just five timed laps.
MICHELIN® AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 Classification 2018
Phillip Island, Friday, October 26, 2018
| 1 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 336.4 | 1’29.131 | |
| 2 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 338.3 | 1’29.291 | 0.160 / 0.160 |
| 3 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 335.0 | 1’29.354 | 0.223 / 0.063 |
| 4 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 340.4 | 1’29.406 | 0.275 / 0.052 |
| 5 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 341.2 | 1’29.616 | 0.485 / 0.210 |
| 6 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 336.2 | 1’29.686 | 0.555 / 0.070 |
| 7 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 337.7 | 1’29.739 | 0.608 / 0.053 |
| 8 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 333.7 | 1’29.838 | 0.707 / 0.099 |
| 9 | 42 | Alex RINS | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 333.4 | 1’29.918 | 0.787 / 0.080 |
| 10 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 332.4 | 1’30.133 | 1.002 / 0.215 |
| 11 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 332.7 | 1’30.179 | 1.048 / 0.046 |
| 12 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 333.5 | 1’30.346 | 1.215 / 0.167 |
| 13 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 328.0 | 1’30.472 | 1.341 / 0.126 |
| 14 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 339.0 | 1’30.545 | 1.414 / 0.073 |
| 15 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 339.3 | 1’30.734 | 1.603 / 0.189 |
| 16 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 335.9 | 1’30.736 | 1.605 / 0.002 |
| 17 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 326.7 | 1’30.787 | 1.656 / 0.051 |
| 18 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 332.8 | 1’30.830 | 1.699 / 0.043 |
| 19 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 331.6 | 1’31.166 | 2.035 / 0.336 |
| 20 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 328.8 | 1’31.275 | 2.144 / 0.109 |
| 21 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 328.8 | 1’31.539 | 2.408 / 0.264 |
| 22 | 81 | Jordi TORRES | SPA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 331.3 | 1’31.570 | 2.439 / 0.031 |
| 23 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 326.4 | 1’32.045 | 2.914 / 0.475 |
| 24 | 7 | Mike JONES | AUS | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 329.8 | 1’33.633 | 4.502 / 1.588 |
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