Jack Miller shines at the MotoGP start in Australia – Ducati fights!

Jack Miller shines at the MotoGP start in Australia – Ducati fights!

Today, October 17, 2025, the starting signal was fired for the 19th round of the MotoGP season in picturesque Australia. The first free practice session (EL1) at the Phillip Island Circuit offered fans plenty of thrills and impressive times. Jack Miller, who drives for Yamaha, set the mark with a best time of 1:28.291 and maintained his position at the front of the field.

Early in the session, Franco Morbidelli had to deal with a crash when he brought his VR46 Ducati to the ground on the Southern Loop. The Ducati team didn't have it easy this time either, especially in the absence of Marc Marquez, who is currently recovering from an injury. Pecco Bagnaia also struggled with his Desmosedici GP and ended up in seventh place, just 0.265 seconds behind Miller.

The competition never sleeps

Directly behind Miller, Alex Marquez of Gresini showed strong and took second place with a time of 1:28.317, just 0.026 seconds behind the fast Miller. KTM's Pedro Acosta shined with a solid ride, finishing third with a time of 1:28.416. Fermin Aldeguer rounded out the top four and set the fourth best time. Fabio Quartararo, the second best Yamaha, delivered a solid run of 1:28.520 to finish in fifth place, followed by Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi.

Particularly worth mentioning is the technical failure of Joan Mir, which caused considerable unrest due to an oil loss on the route. KTM's Brad Binder also briefly had the best time, but later fell back in the rankings. The initial training numbers included a total of 22 riders and showed that the competition on Phillip Island is fierce.

A look at the race track

The Phillip Island Circuit is not only a challenge for the drivers, but also a real feast for the eyes for the spectators. The route, which is as beautiful as it is demanding, is idyllically set on cliffs overlooking the ocean and is one of the fastest on the MotoGP calendar. The layout of the route has not changed since 1956, with the average speed being just under 180 km/h. There are seven left and five right turns on the 4.448 kilometers of the course. The longest straight, the Gardner Straight, is named after former champion Wayne Gardner, while other corners are also named after racing legends such as Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner.

The history of this race track dates back to 1928, when the first races took place on a triangular circuit. The permanent circuit, which opened in 1956, has had a permanent place in the MotoGP calendar ever since. The record winners at Phillip Island are the two icons Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi with six wins each, while Marc Marquez has achieved four wins (2015, 2017, 2019, 2024) and holds the current lap record.

It will be exciting to see how the field performs in the coming sessions and whether Jack Miller can maintain his form. MotoGP fans can expect an exciting weekend in Australia.

For further details on the results and developments visit Auto Hebdo, Speedcafe and Motorsport Magazine.