Pramac Ducati's pJorge Martin starts the race from pole position for the third time this season after beating Honda's Marc Marquez to the top spot with a new lap record in qualifying.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) will be the top championship contender on the grid in third position, but with chief title rivals Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) starting right behind him in fourth and fifth respectively.
Ducati last won a race at Phillip Island in 2011, with all subsequent editions of the Australian GP won by Honda and Yamaha riders.
What time does the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix start today?
The Australian Grand Prix will begin at 2pm local time (+11 GMT) at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit near Melbourne.
The race will run to 27 laps.
- Date: Sunday, October 16, 2022
- Start time: 03:00 GMT / 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST / 05:00 SAST / 06:55 EAT / 23:00 ET (Saturday) / 20:00 PT (Saturday) / 14:00 AEDT / 12:00 JST / 08:30 IST
Álex Rins has snatched a stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix after a last-lap pass on new championship leader Francesco Bagnaia.
Bagnaia, who dropped to third behind a resurgent Marc Márquez on a frenetic final tour, seized the championship lead with a 14-point advantage over Fabio Quartararo.
Quartararo had led the title by two points arriving in Australia, but an error-prone performance had him run off the track just four laps into the race, and he then lowsided into the gravel at Southern Loop while running in 15th on lap 11.
The Yamaha rider now faces championship defeat as soon as next weekend in Malaysia.
Home favourite Jack Miller was taken out of the race by an out-of-control Alex Márquez at Miller Corner. The Australian had been part of the leading pack and ran as high as third on lap 5 when he was taken out of the race on lap 9 in a gut-wrenching collision that’s sure to earn the LCR-riding Márquez a penalty next weekend in Sepang.
The battle for the lead was pulsating despite the crash, with the lead rotating between Bagnaia, Rins, and pole-getter Jorge Martin, while Márquez and Marco Bezzecchi also threatened with extended stints in second place.
We’re back at Phillip Island for the Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix this weekend as the MotoGP™ paddock gears up for a crucial three days of track action.
Proceedings in Australia kick off with two Press Conferences on Thursday, the first at 17:00 local time (GMT+11) and the second at 17:35 which includes the likes of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and home hero Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing).
Friday and Saturday’s running order sees a slight change to what we’ve seen at the Japanese and Thai GPs. Moto3™ is first up as usual at 09:00, but it’s MotoGP™ that follows the lightweight class at 09:55 on both Friday and Saturday morning for the FP1 and FP3 sessions, with the Moto2™ riders entering the fray at 10:55.
Qualifying starts at 12:35 on Saturday afternoon with Moto3™, before MotoGP™ FP4 takes place at 13:30 ahead of the premier class qualifying sessions starting at 14:10 with Q1. Moto2™ qualifying kicks off at 15:10.
A decisive race day then appears on Sunday. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) can claim the Moto3™ title at 11:00, before the Moto2™ title race rumbles on at 12:20. Then, beginning at 14:00, we’ll find out who will be leading the MotoGP™ Championship heading to Malaysia.
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