MotoGP faces one of its most unpredictable weekends in recent seasons with newly crowned champion Marc Marquez - plus fellow former Phillip Island winners Jorge Martin and Maverick Vinales - all ruled out of action.
The trio formed the entire front row of last year’s Australian Grand Prix grid - when Marquez went on to win from Martin - but won’t take part this weekend due to injuries.
Factory Ducati star Marquez is absent for at least the next two rounds after undergoing surgery for ligament damage to his right collarbone, caused by contact from Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia.
Martin continues to be sidelined after undergoing surgery for a collarbone fracture sustained in a Turn 1 clash with Aprilia team-mate Bezzecchi at Motegi.
Tech3 KTM’s Vinales withdrew after qualifying at Mandalika due to ongoing issues with his healing shoulder.
With six Australian MotoGP wins between them - Marquez (4), Martin (1) and Vinales (1) - the only proven premier-class ‘Island winners in action this weekend will be Alex Rins (2022) and Johann Zarco (2023).
Marquez is being replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, Martin by Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori and Vinales by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro.
Meanwhile, Bezzecchi is back for Phillip Island, and tipped as one of the favourites after a searing pace through the fast and flowing sections at Mandalika, but needs to serve a double long lap penalty on Sunday for causing the scary incident with Marquez.
Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura, who withdrew from his home Japanese Grand Prix and then skipped the whole of the Mandalika event due to a wrist injury from Misano, is also back on track this weekend.
Friday’s schedule:
10:45am (local) / 00:45m (UK) - MotoGP FP1
3:00pm (local) / 5:00am (UK) - MotoGP Practice*
* Top 10 riders receive direct access to Qualifying 2.
Marc Marquez would almost certainly have been a hot favourite for victory at the Australian Grand Prix had it not been for injury.
He would have faced a stiff challenge from Marco Bezzecchi, but his pace may well go to waste due to an impending penalty for a tangle with the world champion. That, as it happens, may have opened the door for another Ducati star to flourish…
Feature ✍️
Yamaha riders enjoyed a strong start to the Australian Grand Prix weekend, with Fabio Quartararo hailing its "great pace".
Could the Japanese marque be a podium factor?
Read more ⬇️
Marco Bezzecchi was flying on Friday at the Australian Grand Prix, but admits to having more pain in his back than he expected following his crash with Marc Marquez in Indonesia.
Read more ⬇️
There has been a lot of talk in the paddock this evening that the 2025 Australian Grand Prix could be brought forward to Saturday, due to concern over 40mph gusts in the forecast for Sunday.
The riders are due to discuss this in the safety commission meeting, with a decision likely to be made fairly soon after that.
This happened in 2023, when poor weather forced a schedule change.
Pol Espargaro enjoyed a strong start to his Friday filling in for the injured Maverick Vinales at the Tech3 KTM squad.
Coming from a New York shopping trip, Espargaro was top KTM with a place directly in Q2.
It was another tough day the office for Pecco Bagnaia, who only has one "usable" GP25 currently as the problems he faced in Indonesia persist on the other.
Read more ⬇️
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the best Ducati on day one of the 2025 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix.
But he has a "fear" going into Saturday's action.
Read more ⬇️
0.754 faster than Jorge Martin's 2023 lap record 😮💨 Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia 🔥#MotoGP#AustralianGPpic.twitter.com/OKzR4zybUh
— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) October 17, 2025
Happy days for @polespargaro heading straight to Q2 tomorrow after finishing P8 today 💥#KTM#ReadyToRace#AustralianGPpic.twitter.com/0teH45B7Ta
— RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING (@KTM_Racing) October 17, 2025
Bezzecchi tops the lot! 🔥
— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 17, 2025
Fastest man on Friday with an all time lap record to boot 💪#MotoGP | #AustralianGPpic.twitter.com/71O4T0OyEz
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez looks like he will be out for at least three rounds now, following surgery on his right shoulder.
But Ducati is hopeful of having him back in action for the Valencia finale in mid-November.
The track action is over for the day, but there is plenty of reaction to come from the Phillip Island paddock.
Stay tuned for all the latest!
Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi blasted away the old lap record at Phillip Island to lead Practice at the Australian Grand Prix.
Read the full report ⬇️
The chequered flag waves.
Marco Bezzecchi goes even faster on his last lap to finish 0.291s ahead of a late flyer by Raul Fernandez, who forms an Aprilia one-two.
Francesco Bagnaia clings on to the top ten, but rookie Mandalika race winner Fermin Aldeguer is out and will be in Qualifying 1.
Bagnaia overshoots Turn 4, he will get one last shot at confirming a place in the top ten having been pushed to 9th.
Pol Espargaro becomes the top KTM, in 7th, pushing Jack Miller out of the top ten.
1 min to go.
Bagnaia fights back! The double world champion leaps from 14th to 7th, 0.6s from Bezzecchi but he's in the Qualifying 2 hunt.
3mins to go and those in the riders in or around the Qualifying 1 danger zone:
8. Fermin Aldeguer
9. Jack Miller
10. Joan Mir
11. Luca Marini
12. Brad Binder
13. Johann Zarco
14. Francesco Bagnaia
TV replays continue to show Pedro Acosta murdering his rear tyre through Stoner corner as he wrings every last bit of speed out of the RC16. Acosta is currently 7th with team-mate Brad Binder next best KTM in 12th.
Marc Marquez's replacement Michele Pirro falls on his out lap, at Turn 4.
6mins to go and the final time attacks begin. Most riders have kept the new front from their previous run, but with a new soft rear.
No improvement by Bagnaia, who joins most other riders in pitting before one last run.
The Italian is soon locked in intensive conversations with crew chief Cristian Gabarrini. Most other Ducati team members stay well away.
Francesco Bagnaia joins the likes of Bezzecchi and Luca Marini in picking a new hard front (rather than medium) for his time attack - but Bagnaia is only 13th at the moment and in danger of being sent to Qualifying 1.
10mins to go and it's a pair of Yamahas best of the rest behind Bezzecchi in the form of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins. Miller is pushed to 7th.
