Image: Russell Colvin.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone left it late to leap to the top of the combined time-sheets in FP2 at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Friday, going quickest overall.

Iannone set a 1m29.131s on his final lap to oust Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) from P1, as the two Italians were separated by 0.160s. Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completed the top three.

The start of the session didn’t go as planned for Ducati Team’s Alvaro Bautista after he crashed at turn six, this coming before both Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ran into the gravel at the same corner.

Both riders were able to regroup and as is typical for FP2, the quickest times of the day were posted towards the end of the session as fresh soft compound Michelin rubber was laid down. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) went top with three minutes to go, but not for long.

Vinales soon propelled himself into first, but clinging onto his tail-pipes was the Desmosedici of Petrucci, the Italian going 0.063s faster than his Yamaha counterpart to lead the session. Iannone though would have the last laugh, putting his GSX-RR top of the pile as the chequered flag came out, placing Dovizioso fourth.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) made a strong start to the Australian GP to finish fifth on the combined times, however his Friday ended in him having a big crash at turn one late in FP2. The Briton had to be stretchered off after holding his right leg as he headed straight for the medical centre for a check-up.

Meanwhile, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) got himself up into sixth towards the end of the session to jump ahead of Marquez. After finishing P2 in FP1, home hero Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) sits in a provisional automatic Q2 spot in eighth after a positive start to his weekend.

Japan podium finisher Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completed the top 10 on Friday. Australia’s Mike Jones (Angel Nieto Team) wound up 24th, his 1m33.633s a vast improvement on the earlier session.

Image: Russell Colvin.

In Moto2, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) came out of the blocks blazing on Friday with a 1m33.701s to beat Marcel Schrotter’s (Dynavolt Intact GP) FP1 time by 0.087s and top the combined times.

The German rider, along with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), relied on their FP1 times to sit second and third.

Of the Australians, Tech3 Racing teammates Remy Gardner and Bryan Staring ended up 26th and 29th respectively – the latter on debut in Moto2. Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) collided with Staring at turn four and the Aussie will be assessed on Saturday morning to see if he’s fit to continue.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Moto3 saw Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) end day one at the top of the pile after setting a late personal best lap to claim P1 from championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3).

Canet’s 1m37.285s edged out Martin by 0.111s, with Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) making it a Spanish 1-2-3 in the lightweight class.

Detailed results