Australian Grand Prix live blog, updates and preview, Jack Miller, KTM, Phillip Island, Jorge Martin, Ducati, championship،
Drivers wake up to a clear, sunny Friday on picturesque Phillip Island in southern Victoria, eager to tackle one of the greatest circuits in world motorsport.
They are advised to soak it in while they can, as everything could go downhill from here on.
Today’s forecast with a maximum temperature of 23°C is as good as it gets. This evening the wind will pick up and clouds will build up over Western Port Bay.
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Saturday will be wet. Sunday will be wetter. The wind should be strong enough to compromise the weekend.
But it’s a problem for the weekend. Today, riders will benefit from glorious sunny conditions to take advantage of this ribbon of tarmac and begin to stake their claim for the weekend.
The action begins with the opening practice for all classes this morning, but all eyes will be on MotoGP’s only timed practice session at 3:00 p.m. (AEDT), when 10 direct Q2 places will be up for grabs on Saturday.
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Moto3 training 1: 9:00 a.m. (35 minutes)
Moto2 training 1: 9:50 a.m. (40 minutes)
MotoGP 1 free practice: 10:45 a.m. (45 minutes)
Moto3 2 training sessions: 1:15 p.m. (35 minutes)
Moto2 2 training: 2:05 p.m. (40 minutes)
MotoGP timed practice: 3:00 p.m. (80 minutes)
MILLER “QUIETLY CONFIDENT” OF A GREAT RESULT
Jack Miller begins the weekend with an optimistic mindset, with the Australian hoping KTM’s latest upgrade package will stand him in good stead for a big result at his home race.
KTM has moved from a steel chassis to an advanced carbon fiber frame in recent races, a major evolution in MotoGP research and development.
Ducati tried a similar concept that was abandoned last decade. The Italian team and most others use aluminum.
“The bike has been working really well lately,” he said. “I feel very comfortable.
“I had good pace in Japan and Indonesia. I’m looking forward to moving forward on that this weekend and taking on some challenges. [the leaders].”
You can read more about Miller’s thoughts ahead of his first home race in the premier class representing KTM here.
MARTIN, CONTAINING HIM IN THE TITLE, PUTS THE CRASH IN INDONESIA BEHIND HIM
It’s been a tough few days for title contender Jorge Martin on the trip from Lombok to Melbourne.
The Spaniard had last weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix in his hands with a three-second lead over the peloton while his championship rival, Francesco Bagnaia, was still fighting his way through the peloton from 13th place on the rack.
But then he ran a little wide at turn 10, picked up dirt on his tires and crashed at the next corner, putting himself out of the race.
He then led the title race with a seven-point lead after taking first place in the sprint the day before. By the end of Sunday, he was 18 points behind.
“I think it was the shortest lead in history, less than 24 hours!” he joked in Melbourne.
“Of course it wasn’t easy. After that evening’s race, I did a lot of thinking.
“But I’m lucky we have this race right away to start thinking about this weekend. Let’s try to do it well here.
“I hope I can get those points back.”
Martin said he was encouraged that he had shown good pace in Indonesia, which in turn was coming off a brilliant three-race run with three sprint wins and two Grand Prix victories.
“I don’t think we need to change anything,” he said. “We are competitive every weekend. We almost always fight for victory. We simply must do the same.
“I am confident in all areas. I feel like I’m strong, I’m fast. I have to be calm. I have to try to take advantage of this speed.
“It will be super nice to at least have the chance in Valencia to fight for the championship. But anything can happen, I’ll just try to be competitive.
