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 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 essentially 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: Crimson Bull / Gold and Goose
The victory at Aragon in the beginning of September was an emotional one for Marquez. It was his first on a Ducati, after a number of months of attempting – and it got here at residence in Spain. However it wasn’t totally surprising, given it was a low-grip circuit that suited the Marquez bundle. Nor was any elbow-to-elbow combating required to seal it, as he rode away from the sphere.
When he gained subsequent day trip at Misano, it was a tailored scenario for the eight-time world champion. Unsure climate is strictly what the Gresini rider needs to be able to problem the most recent GP24 machines. And that’s what he bought when it spat with rain in Italy. He even admitted he wouldn’t have won without the weather factor.
However Phillip Island? A difficult take a look at 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 classes, it was dry for Follow, Q2 and the races.
Marquez additionally needed to conquer a robust rival in wheel-to-wheel fight to win in Australia. Martin, keep 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 means of 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, successful a straight combat across the final riders’ circuit. Because of this, the Australian GP has to go down as essentially the most satisfying and spectacular of his three wins this season.
The best way he’s trending, issues might be an actual yawn if Marquez ever will get each his qualifying and his begins proper on the identical weekend.
2. Jorge Martin is best than he thinks he’s
Martin could 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. Once you’re concerned in a battle on the very peak of any self-discipline, the time-honoured method is to maintain unfavourable stuff to your self. To fake you’ve bought 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 mentioned he was frightened concerning 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 dealing with routine questions concerning the run-in to the championship, he mentioned there have been nonetheless “three races by which to make errors”. Once more, whereas mistakes have indeed been a feature of this year’s title fight with Bagnaia, a prime sportsperson often 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 completely happy to inform media – and so his competitors – that he needed to combat to keep up his focus while main, unthreatened, from begin to end. In some way you’ll be able to’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 known 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 straightforward 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 somewhat unfavourable 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 severe errors all weekend.
Both Martin has a particular capacity 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 are actually hanging within the stability 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 just a few lurking in his thoughts.
It should certainly be irritating to observe Marquez and Martin discover the restrict so rapidly and be unable to do the identical. Friday supplied a graphic illustration of that, because the cancellation of FP1 and darkish clouds above the observe in the beginning of Follow meant riders needed to assault for lap occasions with none likelihood to discover the resurfaced Phillip Island observe.
Marquez responded magnificently, dominating the session from the inexperienced flag. And Martin was at all times 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 unsuitable manner on set-up.
With out correct apply time, Australia snowballed into a troublesome 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 type e-book to counsel Martin is not going to be the identical. Certainly, it was Martin who gained in Thailand final yr.
Whereas Martin is likely to be his most important preoccupation for the remainder of this yr, it might even have crossed Bagnaia’s thoughts that he’ll be sharing a storage – and the most recent tools – with Marquez subsequent yr. It’s not a thought many racers would relish proper now.
4. Pedro Acosta is somewhat imp
Acosta was in a playful temper throughout the pre-weekend press conferences
Photograph by: Rob Grey / Polarity Photograph
KTM’s sensation was as strange 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 Follow on Friday value him a spot in Q2. Then he bought the timing of his remaining run unsuitable 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 stable thump again to earth after mixing it with the large 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 an absence 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 rivalry 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 type be defended?
Photograph by: Rob Grey / Polarity Photograph
A preferred rider is at all times more durable to criticise and may be defended to a disproportionate diploma by adoring media who want a superb bloke no unwell. Significantly 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 residence followers in Australia, nevertheless, Miller fell twice in apply 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 really 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 bundle, and he’s bought 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 persistence threshold in any respect, the Australian is unquestionably getting dangerously near hitting it.
6. We want extra tracks like Phillip Island
Phillip Island is an outlier on the MotoGP calendar
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Marquez mentioned after Sunday’s thrilling grand prix that Phillip Island is an exception by way of the standard racing it offers. As if we wanted reminding!
The stop-start circuits that make up many of the calendar are the issue, in line with Marquez. With the aero MotoGP bikes now run, these tracks aren’t a superb match for bikes with the ability to observe one another or, if that goes effectively, overtake one another.
Hopefully, the brand new guidelines coming in for 2027 will go a great distance in the direction of addressing an issue everyone understands. Nonetheless, just a few extra Phillip Islands on the schedule would solely assist the trigger. They’re essentially extra thrilling anyway.
Granted, there aren’t a whole lot of these round any extra. At the very least not so many who meet security necessities. What a disgrace Assen bought chopped in half. Lengthy dwell Silverstone and Mugello. And Brno’s return to the schedule next year ought to be a optimistic.
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 would deliver Suzuka again into consideration for the Japanese spherical?
And let’s not neglect that though Hockenheim has additionally been chopped in half, good outdated energy circuits haven’t totally disappeared. Tracks just like the Salzburgring used to ship thrilling motion of a distinct variety – pure slipstreaming duels. The quirky little Salzburgring remains to be with us. Furthermore, it’s in Crimson Bull’s yard…
7. Aussie animals wield energy over outcomes
The wildlife usually 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 trip across the thrilling sweeps of the Victorian basic throughout the dash. It was, because the Aussie famous, “not best”.
By pure strokes of luck, none of those incidents had a big impression on the results of the race or the world championship. However the grand prix on Sunday was a transparent reminder that Australian wildlife particularly 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 bought caught beneath the rear tyre. Had it been another 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 ought to be accomplished” however Australia is aware of all too effectively that you may’t fence in rabbits. It’s additionally laborious to legislate in opposition to flying creatures. Realistically, wildlife will stay an occupational hazard at Phillip Island – and one which will even resolve a title in the future.
Will Marquez proceed his type to the tip of the season?
Photograph by: Dorna