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Marc Marquez overcame an early crash in wet qualifying to claim pole position for the 2026 Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island on Saturday, October 24. The Ducati rider set a fastest lap of 1:34.203, finishing 1.494 seconds ahead of younger brother Alex Marquez in a session shaped by slippery conditions and changing rain.
Alex qualified second in 1:35.697 for Gresini Ducati, while Johann Zarco took third for LCR Honda in 1:35.706. Championship leader Jorge Martin was fourth, with home favourite Jack Miller fifth after advancing through Q1.
Marc Marquez’s qualifying session began dramatically when he crashed at Turn 4 on his first flying lap in Q2, before setting a time. He was able to return to the pits and switch to his second Ducati, then immediately put himself at the top of the timing screens with his first completed flying lap.
Zarco later moved ahead with a 1:35.706, and Miller briefly climbed into contention as the track conditions shifted. Marquez’s final effort proved decisive: the 1:34.203 lap restored him to first and created a gap of almost one and a half seconds over the rest of the field.
Marquez said after the session that the lap was a way to make up for the opening mistake. The official Australian Grand Prix report quoted him saying, “Just to cover my big mistake!” He credited the team for having the other bike ready and said he kept his focus after the crash.
- 1:34.203: Marc Marquez’s pole lap.
- 1.494 seconds: The margin over Alex Marquez.
- 1:35.697: Alex Marquez’s best lap for second place.
- 1:35.706: Johann Zarco’s third-place time, just 0.009 seconds behind Alex.
- 1:35.780: Jorge Martin’s fourth-place time.
- 1:35.984: Jack Miller’s fifth-place time.
The gap between Alex Marquez and Zarco was only nine thousandths of a second, making their fight for second on the front row much closer than Marc’s margin at the top. Martin finished fourth, 1.577 seconds off pole, while Miller was 1.781 seconds behind.
Martin arrived at the Australian round as championship leader, with reports before qualifying placing him only two points ahead of Marc Marquez. Fourth on the grid leaves Martin in the second row for the sprint and Sunday’s race, while Marc’s pole gives the reigning champion a strong starting position at a pivotal stage of the season.
Marco Bezzecchi, another rider in the title picture, qualified ninth. Raul Fernandez was sixth, Pedro Acosta seventh, Fabio Di Giannantonio eighth and Diogo Moreira tenth. Francesco Bagnaia was 16th, while Fabio Quartararo qualified 19th in the difficult conditions.
Australian rider Jack Miller was one of the notable performers. He topped Q1 and progressed to Q2, eventually securing fifth on the grid for Pramac Yamaha. His result gives local fans a home rider in the second row for the sprint and race weekend.
Miller’s fifth place was also a strong result in a session where wet patches and rain made it difficult for riders to improve consistently. Zarco and Miller were the two riders who advanced from Q1 into Q2, and both ended qualifying inside the top five.
The 13-lap Australian Grand Prix sprint is scheduled for Saturday afternoon local time, followed by the main race on Sunday, October 25. The Australian Grand Prix organiser’s schedule lists the sprint for 3:00 p.m. local time and the race for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
This edition is also a significant moment for Phillip Island: the 2026 Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to be the venue’s final running before the event moves to Adelaide next season. Marquez will start from pole, but the sprint and race will offer Martin and the rest of the field a chance to respond in the remaining rounds of the championship.
