The Australian Grand Prix weekend had all of it. There was the standard wild Phillip Island climate, which led to a cancelled session on Friday however not less than it didn’t intervene with the schedule because it had in 2023.
Marc Marquez overcame yet one more self-inflicted drama – this time a tear-off getting stuck beneath his tyre at the start – to win what has to rank as probably the most satisfying grand prix of his first season on a Ducati. He beat Jorge Martin in a genuine duel, full with place-swapping to thrill those that had braved the chilly climate and travelled to the island.
With Martin winning the sprint on Sunday, and Francesco Bagnaia rising with a comparatively modest fourth and third from the dash and grand prix respectively, the hole between Martin and Bagnaia has doubled to twenty factors.
Listed here are seven issues we discovered from the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
1. Marc Marquez retains getting higher
Marquez took one other win regardless of a mardy begin and his year-old equipment
Photograph by: Purple Bull / Gold and Goose
The victory at Aragon firstly of September was an emotional one for Marquez. It was his first on a Ducati, after a number of months of making an attempt – and it got here at house in Spain. But it surely wasn’t solely sudden, given it was a low-grip circuit that suited the Marquez package deal. Nor was any elbow-to-elbow preventing required to seal it, as he rode away from the sphere.
When he received subsequent outing at Misano, it was a tailored scenario for the eight-time world champion. Unsure climate is strictly what the Gresini rider needs with a purpose to problem the newest GP24 machines. And that’s what he received when it spat with rain in Italy. He even admitted he wouldn’t have won without the weather factor.
However Phillip Island? A difficult check of rider ability, sure, however a observe that had been resurfaced. No one was complaining a couple of lack of grip on the Australian GP weekend. And though the climate did intervene with the untimed periods, it was dry for Observe, Q2 and the races.
Marquez additionally needed to conquer a strong rival in wheel-to-wheel fight to win in Australia. Martin, bear in mind, had secured pole position by over half a second on Saturday. And Marquez had needed to concede defeat to him after misjudging the first corner in the sprint.
However come Sunday, not even dropping to thirteenth – after inflicting a horrible getaway on himself by throwing a tear-off below his tyre – might preserve Marquez down. Taking care of rubber was an element within the grand prix, and most riders wouldn’t have managed to battle by the sphere and nonetheless have the tyre life left to take it to the championship chief on the again finish of the race.
However Marquez discovered a manner, profitable a straight struggle across the final riders’ circuit. For that reason, the Australian GP has to go down as probably the most satisfying and spectacular of his three wins this season.
The best way he’s trending, issues may very well be an actual yawn if Marquez ever will get each his qualifying and his begins proper on the identical weekend.
2. Jorge Martin is healthier than he thinks he’s
Martin might present his feelings publically however his velocity on observe can’t be doubted
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
For an elite sportsman, Pramac Ducati rider Martin is unusually candid in speaking about his doubts in public. While you’re concerned in a battle on the very peak of any self-discipline, the time-honoured method is to maintain damaging stuff to your self. To fake you’ve received all of it in hand and by no means present any weak spot to your rival or rivals.
Two weeks in the past in Japan, Martin stated he was nervous in regards to the prospect of rain at Motegi. The downpours by no means got here, however on the identical weekend he additionally admitted to “riding like a rookie” and to copying the maestro Marquez after following him within the dash.
Then, in Australia, when going through routine questions in regards to the run-in to the championship, he stated there have been nonetheless “three races during which to make errors”. Once more, whereas mistakes have indeed been a feature of this year’s title fight with Bagnaia, a prime sportsperson normally dwells on the positives and the best-case state of affairs. Particularly when their foe is sitting proper subsequent to them.
After his dash win at Phillip Island, Martin was additionally glad to inform media – and so his competitors – that he needed to struggle to keep up his focus while main, unthreatened, from begin to end. Someway you may’t think about him being chosen to the Spanish nationwide poker workforce.
Martin’s continued openness about these issues in all probability contributes to what Pedro Acosta has referred to as a “lack of spice” between the title rivals. It’s hardly gladiatorial when the protagonists are sitting right down to share their emotions and doubts in entrance of an viewers.
Spicy or in any other case, it’s simple to interpret statements like this from Martin as an indication of psychological weak spot. And but there’s little proof of that in his performances. Certainly, his outcomes counsel that each one sportspeople grapple with the identical doubts – Martin simply says them out loud.
As a result of no matter Martin generally sounding just a little damaging or defeatist, he retains on going on the market and delivering outcomes. A qualifying crash in Japan apart, he raced fantastically on each days. And he was elegant in Australia, scorching to pole with no critical errors all weekend.
Both Martin has a particular potential to modify off his doubts when the visor comes down, or he’s so good he can ship regardless of them.
3. Francesco Bagnaia has a lot to ponder
Bagnaia’s title hopes at the moment are hanging within the steadiness as time runs out to shut the hole
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Talking of doubts, these should not one thing Bagnaia is within the behavior of unveiling. However after Australia, he wouldn’t be human if there weren’t a couple of lurking in his thoughts.
It should certainly be irritating to look at Marquez and Martin discover the restrict so rapidly and be unable to do the identical. Friday offered a graphic illustration of that, because the cancellation of FP1 and darkish clouds above the observe firstly of Observe meant riders needed to assault for lap occasions with none probability to discover the resurfaced Phillip Island observe.
Marquez responded magnificently, dominating the session from the inexperienced flag. And Martin was all the time a step forward of Bagnaia, even after being derailed by an early fall. And when Saturday’s FP2 was damp, the analytical double world champion appeared to fall even additional behind, going the improper manner on set-up.
With out correct follow time, Australia snowballed into a tricky weekend by Bagnaia’s requirements. Fourth within the dash and third within the grand prix noticed him slip from a 10-point deficit to a 20-point drawback within the title race.
With considered one of his weaker tracks behind him, Bagnaia talked up his chances of hitting back in Thailand and Malaysia over the next two weekends. Whereas he’s proper to level out that he’s “very quick” at Buriram and Sepang, there isn’t something within the kind e-book to counsel Martin won’t be the identical. Certainly, it was Martin who received in Thailand final 12 months.
Whereas Martin may be his essential preoccupation for the remainder of this 12 months, it might even have crossed Bagnaia’s thoughts that he’ll be sharing a storage – and the newest gear – with Marquez subsequent 12 months. It’s not a thought many racers would relish proper now.
4. Pedro Acosta is just a little imp
Acosta was in a playful temper throughout the pre-weekend press conferences
Photograph by: Rob Grey / Polarity Photograph
KTM’s sensation was as odd in Australia as he had been outstanding in Japan. Maybe daunting Phillip Island is one observe the place even a expertise like his wants a little bit of dry observe time if it’s their first go to on a MotoGP bike.
Acosta actually had tempo when he might string it collectively, however working off the street in Observe on Friday price him a spot in Q2. Then he received the timing of his last run improper on a drying circuit in Q1, and was condemned to a lowly grid slot of fifteenth. A fall within the dash put him out of action for the grand prix on Sunday, rounding off a strong thump again to earth after mixing it with the massive boys at Motegi.
Acosta’s best efficiency of the weekend, then, was in all probability his contribution to the Thursday press convention involving Bagnaia and Martin. Invited by video hyperlink to contribute a query exactly due to his feedback round a scarcity of “spice” between the Ducati pair, Acosta thought for some time after which requested if “the producer will affect this championship battle”.
Coming from a KTM rider who has by no means been in competition for the title, it was a gratuitous try to stir the pot. Credit score ought to go to Dorna for permitting the impish query – even perhaps MotoGP’s promoters agree with Acosta’s view of the protagonists. And to Acosta for asking it.
Martin, for the file, didn’t supply any agency denial that Ducati would ponder such a factor.
5. It’s laborious to remain affected person with Jack Miller
Miller is a favorite on the MotoGP grid, however how lengthy can his kind be defended?
Photograph by: Rob Grey / Polarity Photograph
A preferred rider is all the time more durable to criticise and may be defended to a disproportionate diploma by adoring media who want bloke no ailing. Notably when there are extra English-speaking journalists than there are native English-speaking riders, of which Jack Miller is considered one of solely two.
Racing in entrance of his house followers in Australia, nevertheless, Miller fell twice in follow on Friday, certified sixteenth after which fell off within the dash. He then rounded off the weekend with an eleventh place within the grand prix.
Sure, the native wildlife had an element to play in Miller’s misfortunes this weekend (see beneath). And sure, his was a greater Aussie GP than that of fellow KTM rider Acosta. And sure, Acosta truly falls off extra. However Acosta is a rookie and he’s with a satellite tv for pc workforce.
Sure, Miller has been battling some extraordinary difficulties with the bike. However his stablemate Brad Binder has the identical package deal, and he’s received 192 factors to Miller’s 71. He lies fifth within the standings while Miller is 14th.
Legitimate although the explanations for his outcomes could be, one factor’s for certain: if Miller’s followers and defenders have a endurance threshold in any respect, the Australian is definitely getting dangerously near hitting it.
6. We’d like extra tracks like Phillip Island
Phillip Island is an outlier on the MotoGP calendar
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Marquez stated after Sunday’s thrilling grand prix that Phillip Island is an exception by way of the standard racing it gives. As if we wanted reminding!
The stop-start circuits that make up many of the calendar are the issue, in accordance with Marquez. With the aero MotoGP bikes now run, these tracks aren’t match for bikes with the ability to comply with one another or, if that goes effectively, overtake one another.
Hopefully, the brand new guidelines coming in for 2027 will go a good distance in the direction of addressing an issue everyone understands. Nonetheless, a couple of extra Phillip Islands on the schedule would solely assist the trigger. They’re basically extra thrilling anyway.
Granted, there aren’t quite a lot of these round any extra. At the very least not so many who meet security necessities. What a disgrace Assen received chopped in half. Lengthy stay Silverstone and Mugello. And Brno’s return to the schedule next year needs to be a constructive.
We witnessed the aero impact at its worst at Motegi two weeks in the past. Certainly it’s time for an answer to be discovered that might carry Suzuka again into consideration for the Japanese spherical?
And let’s not overlook that though Hockenheim has additionally been chopped in half, good previous energy circuits haven’t solely disappeared. Tracks just like the Salzburgring used to ship thrilling motion of a special variety – pure slipstreaming duels. The quirky little Salzburgring remains to be with us. Furthermore, it’s in Purple Bull’s yard…
7. Aussie animals wield energy over outcomes
The wildlife typically will get concerned with the racing in Australia
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
On Friday, observe motion at Phillip Island was twice stopped as Cape Barren geese determined to go for a stroll throughout the circuit. Martin additionally had a really close to miss with a rabbit that clearly didn’t look left and proper earlier than crossing.
On Saturday, Miller took an unlucky seagull for on a free journey across the thrilling sweeps of the Victorian traditional throughout the dash. It was, because the Aussie famous, “not splendid”.
By pure strokes of luck, none of those incidents had a major impression on the results of the race or the world championship. However the grand prix on Sunday was a transparent reminder that Australian wildlife specifically can have a cloth impression on outcomes.
The beast that landed on Marquez’s visor was ‘solely’ a big insect, but it surely was sufficient to have the Spaniard reaching for a tear-off simply earlier than the beginning. This ruined his begin because it received caught beneath the rear tyre. Had it been every other rider than Marquez, it will in all probability have succeeded in ruining his race as effectively.
No one needs clashes with animals at a racing circuit. Bagnaia remarked that “one thing needs to be executed” however Australia is aware of all too effectively that you may’t fence in rabbits. It’s additionally laborious to legislate towards flying creatures. Realistically, wildlife will stay an occupational hazard at Phillip Island – and one which will even resolve a title at some point.
Will Marquez proceed his kind to the tip of the season?
Photograph by: Dorna
On this article
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information electronic mail updates on these subjects
