Marc Marquez has admitted that circumstances at Phillip Island played into his hands perfectly as he went fastest on a curtailed first day of the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix.
Marquez led his brother and Gresini Ducati team-mate Alex in a 1-2 in second practice after the morning FP1 session was abandoned due to heavy rain.
With the skies darkening above the oceanside track at the start of the afternoon session, there was no time for settling in or toying with set-ups on the resurfaced circuit. Rain was feared at any moment, so it was important to bank dry lap times up front.
The elder Marquez was fastest into the groove and was able to respond to every threat, including when Jack Miller (KTM) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) briefly hit the top. His best time, set at the end of the session, was a 1m27.770s.
“We can say that today these were my conditions,” admitted the 31-year-old, who won three MotoGP races at Phillip Island during his Honda years.
“One of my strong points is adapting well and quickly to the conditions.
“I think the fact that we didn’t ride in FP1 and went into [second] practice straight away…the grip was improving a lot…and then you need to adapt to the conditions.
“I feel good, but I think the others will make a big step tomorrow. Especially Jorge Martin.”
Unlike his brother, Alex Marquez only appeared at the top of the timesheets late in the session, when he registered a lap just over a tenth of a second shy of the six-time MotoGP champion.
What the siblings had in common, however, was that both thought the lost FP1 gave them an edge over the field.
“It was a short day, but when we have short days, normally it’s better for me,” said Alex, whose patchy form this season has yielded only one podium in July's German GP. “I don’t know why, but when I spend more time on track it’s worse for me.
“Yesterday I said I needed to have fun on the bike again. And today I did.
“I had a good feeling from the very first lap. The set-up was working, the bike was working, and I was able to find the limit.
“It’s nice, but it’s just Friday. There’s a lot we need to understand still.
“If tomorrow is dry, I think pole will be in the 1m26s [bracket]. And it will be important to try the tyres. So tomorrow will not be easy.”
Like his younger brother, Marc Marquez also feels Saturday morning’s session will be crucial in terms of tyre data given the loss of FP1 and some unknowns around the rears Michelin has brought to Phillip Island.
“Tomorrow the most important thing will be to understand the rear tyre,” said Marc. “That’s where we will try to choose the correct option for the race.
“I only tried the soft today but I see that some people tried the medium. Now it’s time to analyse, which we will try to do tomorrow.”
The new surface, which was praised by the riders after their first run on it on Friday, adds another variable at a track where a highly asymmetrical tyre is called for.
Further complication is likely to come from a big temperature drop on Saturday. Some rain is also expected to be in the air, along with strong winds.
