The Australian Grand Prix weekend had all of it. There was the same old wild Phillip Island climate, which led to a cancelled session on Friday however a minimum of it didn’t intrude with the schedule because it had in 2023.
Marc Marquez overcame one more self-inflicted drama – this time a tear-off getting caught beneath his tyre in the beginning – 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 real duel, full with place-swapping to thrill those that had braved the chilly climate and travelled to the island.
With Martin successful the dash 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
Picture by: Purple 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 making an attempt – and it got here at dwelling in Spain. But it surely wasn’t completely 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 sector.
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 desires as a way to problem the newest GP24 machines. And that’s what he bought when it spat with rain in Italy. He even admitted he wouldn’t have received with out the climate issue.
However Phillip Island? A difficult check of rider ability, sure, however a monitor that had been resurfaced. No one was complaining a few lack of grip on the Australian GP weekend. And though the climate did intrude 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, keep in mind, had secured pole place by over half a second on Saturday. And Marquez had needed to concede defeat to him after misjudging the primary nook within the dash.
However come Sunday, not even dropping to thirteenth – after inflicting a horrible getaway on himself by throwing a tear-off below his tyre – may hold Marquez down. Taking care of rubber was an element within the grand prix, and most riders wouldn’t have managed to battle by way of the sector 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 method, successful a straight struggle across the final riders’ circuit. Because of this, 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 could possibly 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 could present his feelings publically however his pace on monitor can’t be doubted
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
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 adverse stuff to your self. To fake you’ve bought all of it in hand and by no means present any weak point to your rival or rivals.
Two weeks in the past in Japan, Martin mentioned 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 “using like a rookie” and to copying the maestro Marquez after following him within the dash.
Then, in Australia, when dealing with routine questions in regards to the run-in to the championship, he mentioned there have been nonetheless “three races by which to make errors”. Once more, whereas errors have certainly been a function of this yr’s title struggle 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 take care of his focus while main, unthreatened, from begin to end. In some way you may’t think about him being chosen to the Spanish nationwide poker staff.
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 straightforward to interpret statements like this from Martin as an indication of psychological weak point. 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 typically sounding somewhat adverse or defeatist, he retains on going on the market and delivering outcomes. A qualifying crash in Japan apart, he raced beautifully on each days. And he was chic in Australia, scorching to pole with no critical errors all weekend.
Both Martin has a particular potential to change 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 steadiness as time runs out to shut the hole
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
Talking of doubts, these are usually not one thing Bagnaia is within the behavior of showing. 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 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 monitor in the beginning of Observe meant riders needed to assault for lap occasions with none likelihood to discover the resurfaced Phillip Island monitor.
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 fallacious method on set-up.
With out correct follow 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 one in every of his weaker tracks behind him, Bagnaia talked up his possibilities of hitting again in Thailand and Malaysia over the following 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 ebook to counsel Martin is not going to be the identical. Certainly, it was Martin who received in Thailand final yr.
Whereas Martin is perhaps his principal preoccupation for the remainder of this yr, it could even have crossed Bagnaia’s thoughts that he’ll be sharing a storage – and the newest gear – 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 through the pre-weekend press conferences
Picture by: Rob Grey / Polarity Picture
KTM’s sensation was as extraordinary in Australia as he had been excellent in Japan. Maybe daunting Phillip Island is one monitor the place even a expertise like his wants a little bit of dry monitor time if it’s their first go to on a MotoGP bike.
Acosta definitely had tempo when he may string it collectively, however working off the highway in Observe on Friday value him a spot in Q2. Then he bought the timing of his last run fallacious 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 motion for the grand prix on Sunday, rounding off a strong thump again to earth after mixing it with the large boys at Motegi.
Acosta’s most interesting 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 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 – maybe even MotoGP’s promoters agree with Acosta’s view of the protagonists. And to Acosta for asking it.
Martin, for the file, didn’t provide any agency denial that Ducati would ponder such a factor.
5. It’s arduous to remain affected person with Jack Miller
Miller is a favorite on the MotoGP grid, however how lengthy can his kind be defended?
Picture by: Rob Grey / Polarity Picture
A well-liked rider is all the time tougher to criticise and will be defended to a disproportionate diploma by adoring media who want a great bloke no sick. Notably when there are extra English-speaking journalists than there are native English-speaking riders, of which Jack Miller is one in every of solely two.
Racing in entrance of his dwelling 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 a component to play in Miller’s misfortunes this weekend (see under). 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 staff.
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 might 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
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
Marquez mentioned 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 a lot of the calendar are the issue, in accordance with Marquez. With the aero MotoGP bikes now run, these tracks aren’t a great match for bikes having the ability to comply with one another or, if that goes nicely, overtake one another.
Hopefully, the brand new guidelines coming in for 2027 will go a good distance in direction of addressing an issue all people understands. Nonetheless, just a few extra Phillip Islands on the schedule would solely assist the trigger. They’re basically extra thrilling anyway.
Granted, there aren’t a number of these round any extra. Not less than not so many who meet security necessities. What a disgrace Assen bought chopped in half. Lengthy stay Silverstone and Mugello. And Brno’s return to the schedule subsequent yr must 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 would deliver Suzuka again into consideration for the Japanese spherical?
And let’s not overlook that though Hockenheim has additionally been chopped in half, good outdated energy circuits haven’t completely 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 Purple Bull’s yard…
7. Aussie animals wield energy over outcomes
The wildlife typically will get concerned with the racing in Australia
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
On Friday, monitor 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 experience across the thrilling sweeps of the Victorian basic through the dash. It was, because the Aussie famous, “not very 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 fabric 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 could in all probability have succeeded in ruining his race as nicely.
No one desires clashes with animals at a racing circuit. Bagnaia remarked that “one thing must be achieved” however Australia is aware of all too nicely which you can’t fence in rabbits. It’s additionally arduous to legislate towards flying creatures. Realistically, wildlife will stay an occupational hazard at Phillip Island – and one that will even determine a title sooner or later.
Will Marquez proceed his kind to the tip of the season?
Picture by: Dorna
