Australian MotoGP: Fast-starting Marquez tops first practice

Marquez wasted little time getting down to business when the session kicked off, the MotoGP points leader consistently the first to dip into the 1m31s, the 1m30s, and then the 1m29s bracket.

By the 10-minute mark Marquez was quickest with a 1m29.722s, going quicker again five minutes later with a 1m29.699s.

Right before the 20-minute mark he lowered the benchmark to 1m29.602s on mediums front and rear, that time good enough to hold off a number of soft-tyre runs at the end of the session and leave Marquez on top.

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Johann Zarco wound up best of those to have tried out the soft tyres in the closing stages of the 45-minute session, jumping into second right on the flag with a 1m29.695s.

That knocked hometown hero Jack Miller, who had gone second quickest moments before with a 1m29.724s, down to third on the Marc VDS Honda.

Andrea Dovizioso was just fourth quickest, after making a mistake on what looked to be a session-topping soft tyre run right at the end of the session.

The Ducati title contender was quickest through the first sector on his second last lap, only to run wide at Turn 4 and ruin any chance of knocking Marquez off top spot.

He finished up with a best time of 1m29.753s, set right at the flag, ahead of Maverick Yinales on the best of the factory Yamahas.

Andrea Iannone was sixth quickest on the Suzuki, one spot clear of Pol Espargaro on the KTM.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) was eighth, first of the riders not to break into the 1m29s. Bradley Smith (KTM), who was first of the riders to try out the soft rear tyre, and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) rounded out the top 10.

Valentino Rossi languished outside the top 10 all session and managed just 13th, the best part of a second off the pace on the second works Yamaha.

Practice results:

Pos.	#	Rider	Bike	Time	Gap
1	93	Marc Marquez	Honda	1'29.602
2	5	Johann Zarco	Yamaha	1'29.695	0.093
3	43	Jack Miller	Honda	1'29.724	0.122
4	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	1'29.753	0.151
5	25	Maverick Viñales	Yamaha	1'29.781	0.179
6	29	Andrea Iannone	Suzuki	1'29.857	0.255
7	44	Pol Espargaro	KTM	1'29.878	0.276
8	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Ducati	1'30.059	0.457
9	38	Bradley Smith	KTM	1'30.279	0.677
10	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	1'30.384	0.782
11	26	Dani Pedrosa	Honda	1'30.400	0.798
12	41	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	1'30.494	0.892
13	46	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha	1'30.553	0.951
14	17	Karel Abraham	Ducati	1'30.879	1.277
15	45	Scott Redding	Ducati	1'31.001	1.399
16	9	Danilo Petrucci	Ducati	1'31.174	1.572
17	42	Alex Rins	Suzuki	1'31.329	1.727
18	8	Hector Barbera	Ducati	1'31.457	1.855
19	53	Tito Rabat	Honda	1'31.599	1.997
20	76	Loris Baz	Ducati	1'31.614	2.012
21	19	Alvaro Bautista	Ducati	1'31.994	2.392
22	22	Sam Lowes	Aprilia	1'32.426	2.824
23	23	Broc Parkes	Yamaha	1'33.054	3.452