Current champion, the Spanish rider Marc Márquez, secured on Friday (23) the pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, the 18th round of the 2026 MotoGP season. In a qualifying session marked by unstable weather at Phillip Island, the Ducati rider even took a fall, but held back his best lap until the final moments to clock in 1:34.203, grabbing the top spot for both the Sprint and the main race.
Second place went to Álex Márquez, riding a Gresini Ducati, who finished 1.494 seconds behind his brother. Johann Zarco, on a LCR Honda, completed the first row in third. Leader of the championship, Jorge Martín starts in fourth on an Aprilia, while Jack Miller, aboard a Pramac Yamaha, starts in fifth. Raúl Fernández, on a Trackhouse Aprilia, completes the top-6.
Pedro Acosta placed KTM in seventh on the starting grid, opening a third row that will also feature Fabio Di Giannantonio, eighth with VR46’s Ducati, and Marco Bezzecchi, ninth with Aprilia. The sole Brazilian on the grid, Diogo Moreira, will start tenth aboard an LCR Honda. Enea Bastianini, on a Tech3 KTM, and Ai Ogura, on a Trackhouse Aprilia, complete the list of the 12 best.
The session held tonight at the Phillip Island circuit featured only one fall, in the final stretch. Marc Márquez fell off the Ducati at Turn 4 of the Australian circuit.
The MotoGP Sprint will be held from 1:00 a.m. this Saturday (24), while the Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place at midnight on Sunday.
