Spaniard Jorge Martin obliterated the lap record at Phillip Island to secure pole position for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Key points:
- Martin broke the nine-year lap record held by Jorge Lorenzo
- Marc Marquez finished second in qualifying
- Jack Miller will start eighth on the grid
The Ducati rider topped the mark set by legendary countryman Jorge Lorenzo back in 2013 with a blistering qualifying lap on Saturday.
Martin — who had never speeded at the Victorian circuit until Friday — clocked a lap of one minute and 27,767 seconds to claim pole ahead of resurgent MotoGP icon Marc Marquez.
“He (Lorenzo) won’t be super happy, but for sure it’s time to beat those records because the bikes are much faster now,” Martin said.
“I was a bit lost [on Friday] because this track is so fast, so first time here, but today I had a good pace.”
Six-time champion Marquez also beat Lorenzo’s previous record despite suffering a scare midway through the session.
Marquez pulled off a masterful save, keeping his Honda upright after looking set to crash, before steering the bike into the grass.
A three-time Australian GP winner, Marquez is the reigning champion at Phillip Island after taking the checkered flag the last time the race was staged back in 2019.
Title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo qualified in third and fifth respectively.
Australian Jack Miller will start his home GP from eighth on the grid despite an impressive session, the first since turn four at the famed circuit was named in his honor on Saturday.
The in-form Miller is looking to break through for his first MotoGP win on home soil after finishing third in the race three years ago.
AAP