Marco Bezzecchi Smashes Australian MotoGP Record with Historic Lap at Phillip Island

Posted : 18 October 2025

Marco Bezzecchi made MotoGP history at Phillip Island by becoming the first rider to break the 1:27 barrier, setting a new lap record.

Marco Bezzecchi produced a stunning display of speed and precision on Friday, shattering the Australian MotoGP lap record at Phillip Island during second practice. The Italian rider, representing Aprilia, became the first in MotoGP history to dip below 1 minute 27 seconds on the iconic circuit, clocking a blistering 1:26.492.

Bezzecchi initially broke the previous best of 1:27.246, set by Jorge Martin in 2023, with a lap of 1:26.580, before going even faster moments later. His incredible run left him 0.291 seconds ahead of fellow Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati-VR46) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) completed the top four.

Aprilia team boss Paolo Bonora praised Bezzecchi’s performance, calling it “an unbelievable lap” and noting the rider’s growing confidence. “He hit the record twice, which shows how comfortable he is with the bike,” Bonora said. “Our bike has shown potential for a while, but now we’re finally seeing the results.”

Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) finished fifth, 0.453 seconds behind Bezzecchi, as he continues his bid to secure second place in the world championship standings behind his brother, Marc Marquez. Alex currently leads Francesco Bagnaia by 88 points and could clinch the runner-up spot this weekend if he extends his advantage to 111 points.

Bagnaia endured another difficult day after battling bike vibrations in the opening session. Despite early struggles, a switch to his spare Ducati helped him recover to ninth place in the standings.

The top ten riders from second practice automatically advance to Q2 on Saturday, where they will be joined by the two fastest from Q1 to determine the front five rows for both the sprint and main races. Among those forced into Q1 are Fermin Aldeguer, who triumphed in Indonesia, and Jack Miller, the local favourite who led the opening session.

Notably absent this weekend is Marc Marquez, who is recovering from shoulder surgery following his collision with Bezzecchi in Indonesia. Bezzecchi has been handed a double long-lap penalty for causing that incident but will still compete in Saturday’s sprint race.

Throughout the session, teams experimented with different tyre combinations in preparation for unpredictable weather. Running a hard front and soft rear tyre, Bezzecchi stunned the grid with his record-breaking pace — a performance that firmly establishes him as one of the standout riders heading into the weekend.

Marco Bezzecchi Smashes Australian MotoGP Record with Historic Lap at Phillip Island

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics