Home hero Jack Miller fits fresh rubber at the end of opening practice for the 2025 Australian MotoGP to lead the Phillip Island timesheets on Friday morning.

Miller, the only rider in the top ten to change both front and rear tyres for his final run, got the better of long-time leader Alex Marquez.

Marquez suffered a scare when he clipped the back wheel of Miller’s team-mate Miguel Oliveira at Turn 1, but stayed upright. The incident was put under investigation by the Stewards with no further action taken.

Young Spanish stars Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Marquez’s Gresini Ducati team-mate and Mandalika winner Fermin Aldeguer completed a top four covered by just 0.185s.

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi set the early pace and also practised the long lap penalty loop he will need to visit twice in the grand prix.

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Francesco Bagnaia’s day began with the Italian gesturing angrily to his crew about more violent shaking from the GP25. But he  later made progress to finish seventh.

Franco Morbidelli was the first faller of the weekend while HRC’s Joan Mir suffered a dramatic engine failure on the main straight…

2025 Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island – Free Practice (1) ResultsPosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax1Jack MillerAUSPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)1’28.281s19/19347k2Alex MarquezSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24)+0.036s12/20345k3Pedro AcostaSPARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.135s14/19350k4Fermin AldeguerSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24)*+0.185s18/18340k5Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.239s22/22340k6Marco BezzecchiITAAprilia Racing (RS-GP25)+0.251s20/22343k7Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP25)+0.275s15/16342k8Johann ZarcoFRACastrol Honda LCR (RC213V)+0.337s13/19346k9Fabio Di GiannantonioITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25)+0.350s15/16346k10Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.373s11/23347k11Raul FernandezSPATrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)+0.479s18/20344k12Joan MirSPAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+0.596s13/18348k13Luca MariniITAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+0.695s21/21348k14Franco MorbidelliITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24)+0.705s18/20345k15Enea BastianiniITARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+0.738s19/19350k16Pol EspargaroSPARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+0.757s19/20350k17Alex RinsSPAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.958s18/20344k18Miguel OliveiraPORPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.048s18/21343k19Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Factory (RS-GP25)+1.510s18/20341k20Somkiat ChantraTHAIdemitsu Honda LCR (RC213V)*+2.028s21/23337k21Michele PirroITADucati Test Rider (GP25)+2.364s19/21334k22Ai OguraJPNTrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)*+2.474s18/20335k

* Rookie

Official Phillip Island MotoGP Records:

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Best lap: Jorge Martin, Ducati, 1m 27.246s (2023)

Fastest race lap: Marc Marquez, Ducati, 1m 27.765s (2024)

Last year’s Australian Grand Prix front row of Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales are all missing from the 2025 event due to injuries.

2025 world champion Marquez is absent for at least the next two rounds after undergoing surgery for ligament damage to his right collarbone, caused by contact from Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia.

Aprilia’s Martin, who also missed the Indonesian round after undergoing surgery for a collarbone fracture sustained in a Turn 1 clash with team-mate Bezzecchi at Motegi, continues to be absent.

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Tech3’s Vinales withdrew after qualifying at Mandalika due to ongoing issues with his healing shoulder.

Marquez, Martin and Vinales are all former Phillip Island MotoGP winners, leaving only Alex Rins (2022) and Johann Zarco (2023) with previous premier-class Australian victories.

Marquez is replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, Martin by Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori and Vinales by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro.

Bezzecchi is back for Phillip Island but needs to serve a double long lap penalty on Sunday for causing the scary opening lap incident with Marquez at Mandalika.

Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura, who withdrew from his home Japanese Grand Prix and then skipped the whole of the Mandalika event due to pain from the wrist injury at Misano, is also back on track this weekend.

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