Marco Bezzecchi's (Aprilia Racing) stunning performance at the Liqui Moly Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix Day 1 has set a new lap record, leaving his competitors in awe. But here's where it gets controversial... With Aprilia securing a 1-2 finish, the Italian's 1:26.492 lap time not only secured the top spot for Day 1 but also left his closest challenger, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), in the dust. And this is the part most people miss... While Bezzecchi's record-breaking performance dominated the practice session, the battle for the top three spots was intense. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) pushed Bezzecchi to his limits, with Acosta's small crash at Turn 4 briefly halting his session. But Bezzecchi's determination paid off, as he not only set a new lap record but also extended his lead to over four tenths. The Italian's performance was so impressive that it left his fellow Ducati star, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who missed the Q2 cut, in the dust. So, can anyone catch Bezzecchi in qualifying? As Aprilia enjoys a fantastic day at the office at Phillip Island, the question remains: will Bezzecchi's dominance continue on Saturday? With two minutes to go, Pecco still sat outside the top 10, but he was on a personal best lap three-quarters of the way round. A 1:27.132 was good enough to send Pecco into P7, before that was P8 as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Maverick Viñales’ stand-in, made his way into the automatic Q2 places. Bezzecchi's performance was so dominant that it left his fellow Aprilia rider, Fernandez, in the dust, with Fernandez sailing into Q2 with a very strong P2. The Italian's performance was so impressive that it left his fellow Ducati star, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who missed the Q2 cut, in the dust. So, who will challenge Bezzecchi on Saturday? With the Indonesian GP winner Aldeguer in P11, the battle for the top spots is far from over. The question remains: can anyone catch Bezzecchi in qualifying? As the race unfolds on Saturday, the excitement builds. Will Bezzecchi's dominance continue? Or will someone else step up to the challenge? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: the battle for the top spots is far from over.
