Marc Marquez dominates Phillip Island qualifying

An early crash couldn’t stop the reigning world champ from taking a masterful pole position, as Jack Miller capitalised on the damp conditions to take P5 on the grid

Jack Miller and Johann Zarco set the Q1 pace in a dramatic MotoGP qualifying session at Phillip Island, with both riders immediately looking at home in the damp but drying conditions. There was a sense right from the start that the circuit could begin to dry, but in the early stages it was all about judging the changing surface and getting the most from the rain tyres, with some riders, including Miller, opting for the medium rain tyre as the session wore on.

If Q1 belonged to Miller and Zarco, Q2 was where Marc Marquez reminded everyone exactly why he remains the benchmark in all conditions.

Miller looked confident from the outset in Q2, heading out on the medium rear tyre after gaining valuable experience in Q1, while most of the field opted for the softer rain tyre. Drama struck almost immediately, though, as the rain flags began to wave again and Marc Marquez went down at Honda Corner on his first flying lap, a moment that threatened to become very costly as the conditions began to deteriorate.

Alex Marquez briefly went fastest, only to be quickly displaced by Zarco, who was clearly revelling in the conditions on the LCR Honda. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was already headed back out on track, wasting no time in restarting his challenge.

Zarco then found even more speed, going fastest by half a second, as Miller looked to build his pace down in seventh. The pressure was on Marc Marquez to post a representative lap, and he immediately went fastest through the first sector, tipping the Ducati into Honda Corner much more gingerly to avoid repeating his earlier mistake.

On his first completed lap of the session, Marc Marquez went straight to the top of the timesheets, underlining his class in the wet. Heading into the final five minutes, it was Marquez from Zarco from Alex Marquez, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Diogo Moreira next up as riders returned to the track on fresh rubber.

Zarco was not finished yet, though, as he lit up the timing screens with red sectors to snatch top spot back. Martin threatened to improve but had to abandon his lap, while Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez jostled for track space for the second time already this weekend, this time through Hayshed, slowing both riders down.

Then Miller made his move. Just a quarter of a second down, he hauled himself into the front row battle and jumped to second, a superb effort that briefly put Yamaha right in the thick of it. But Marc Marquez still had one final statement to make.

Marquez was absolutely flying halfway through his final lap, already seven tenths up through the third sector as he looked to reset the benchmark. He did much more than that, obliterating the fastest time to go top by 1.5 seconds with a stunning 1:34.203.

In the closing moments, Alex Marquez slotted into second ahead of Zarco, while Martin produced a last gasp lap to secure an important fourth place on the grid in the championship fight. Miller completed a superb qualifying performance in fifth, but the session belonged to Marc Marquez.

Crashing early, regrouping, getting back out there and then ending the session more than a second faster than anyone else was a vintage Marquez display. He now has the box seat for the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix as he looks to potentially snatch the championship lead at Phillip Island.

2026 PHILLIP ISLAND MOTOGP QUALIFYING