Spaniard sets blazing lap record at Phillip Island to kick-start Aussie Moto GP for Ducati with pole position
- 24-year-old Spaniard Jorge Martin has cracked a nine-year lap record at Phillip Island
- The Ducati Rider broked Marc Marquez’s time in just his second year on tour
- Martin will have pole position in his first trip to the Victorian circuit
Spaniard Jorge Martin has set the Phillip Island Moto GP circuit alight, charging to a new lap record to kick start the Aussie Grand Prix with a nine-year drought breaking time.
The Ducati rider topped the mark set by legendary countryman Jorge Lorenzo back in 2013 with a blistering qualifying lap on Saturday.
Jorge Martin of Spain took pole position at Phillip Island – breaking a nine-year lap record in the process
Martin, who had never raced at the Victorian circuit until Friday, clocked a lap of 1.27.767 to claim pole ahead of resurgent MotoGP icon Marc Marquez.
The 24-year-old Team Pracac racer has now set an unprecedented lap time in his second year on the Moto GP tour, and knows icon Marc Marquez will be quietly upset his record was thrashed.
‘He (Lorenzo) won’t be super happy, but for sure it’s time to beat those records because the bikes are much faster now,’ Martin said.
‘I was a bit lost (on Friday) because this track is so fast, so first time here, but today I had a good pace.’
Martin pictured with his PRIMAC racing team – the 24-year-old started in the Moto GP last year
Martin took out the Moto3 competition in 2018 and excelled in the Moto2 before making his step up to the premier racing tour.
The six-time champion also beat Lorenzo’s previous record despite suffering a scare midway through the session.
Marquez pulled off a masterful save, keeping his Honda upright after looking set to crash, steering the bike into the grass.
Martin celebrates with his team after taking pole position at his first time in Victoria for the Australian Grand Prix
A three-time Australian GP winner, Marquez is the reigning champion at Phillip Island after taking the chequered flag the last time the race was staged back in 2019.
Title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo qualified in third and fifth respectively.
Australian Jack Miller will start his home GP from eighth on the grid despite an impressive session, the first since turn four at the famed island was named in his honour on Saturday.
The in-form Miller is looking to breakthrough for his first MotoGP win on home soil after finishing third in the race three years ago.
Martin has been told he will not drive in Ducati’s factory seat next year, losing it to Italian Enea Bastianini
Just days ago, Martin was not happy with his Ducati team after he was overlooked for their factory, no.1 seat next year.
Italian racer Enea Bastianini got the nod, which ‘bothered’ Martin, as he was told he would step into the role.
