Australian MotoGP 2014, Live: Phillip Island practice and qualifying updates, photo and video

MARC Marquez has equalled Casey Stoner’s record for pole positions in one season at Phillip Island, but Jack Miller was left fuming in Moto3.

2014 Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Marc Marquez in action during free practice. Picture: Mark Stewart

MARC Marquez will start the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix on pole after equalling Casey Stoner’s record for most pole positions scored in one season.

Jack Miller, however, will have his work cut out for him out of eighth on the Moto3 grid, while title rival Alex Marquez starts from pole.

Here’s a wrap of how the day’s qualifying sessions went:

MOTOGP
MARC Marquez taking pole position for the Australian MotoGP isn’t big news.

Yes, he has equalled Casey Stoner’s record of 11 pole positions in one season, but the bigger news is the rider who will start alongside him on the front row.

Soon to be ex-Ducati rider Cal Crutchlow posted the best qualifying result of an otherwise dismal year to sit between Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo on the grid for Sunday’s race.

British rider Bradley Smith put his Yamaha fourth on the grid ahead of a resurgent Dani Pedrosa, who had to race his way into the second phase of qualifying after finding himself 11th overall after Saturday morning’s practice session.

The cluster of riders from Crutchlow back to Pedrosa were split by just 0.033s.

Aleix Espargaro rounds out the second row, with Andrea Iannone seventh and Valentino Rossi a distant eighth. Pol Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso round out the top ten.

Broc Parkes will start his first Australian MotoGP from 22nd on the grid.

RESULTS - MotoGP Qualifying
1. (93) Marc Marquez (Honda) 1m28.408s
2. (35) Cal Crutchlow (Ducati) +0.234s
3. (99) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.242s
4. (38) Bradley Smith (Yamaha) +0.248s
5. (26) Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.267s
6. (41) Aleix Espargaro (Forward Yamaha) +0.458s
7. (29) Andrea Iannone (Ducati) +0.479s
8. (46) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.548s
9. (44) Pol Espargaro (Yamaha) +0.560s
10. (4) Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +0.680s
11. (6) Stefan Bradl (Honda) +0.747s
12. (7) Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) +1.547s
13. (45) Scott Redding (Honda) Eliminated Q1
14. (8) Hector Barbera (Avintia) Eliminated Q1
15. (69) Nicky Hayden (Honda) Eliminated Q1
16. (17) Karel Abraham (Honda) Eliminated Q1
17. (19) Alvaro Bautista (Honda) Eliminated Q1
18. (68) Yonny Hernandez (Ducati) Eliminated Q1
19. (9) Danilo Petrucci (ART) Eliminated Q1
20. (63) Mike Di Meglio (Avintia) Eliminated Q1
21. (70) Michael Laverty (PBM) Eliminated Q1
22. (23) Broc Parkes (PBM) Eliminated Q1
23. (15) Alex de Angelis (Forward Yamaha) Eliminated Q1

Miller gesticulates as he arrives in pit lane, trying to find clear space on track.

MOTO3
A FRUSTRATED Jack Miller will start the Australian Moto3 Grand Prix from eigthh on the grid while title rival Alex Marquez starts from pole position.

The Queenslander repeatedly came up on flocks of slower riders as they jockeyed for positions prior to starting fast laps.

He emerged ahead of the group in time for one final flying lap before the end of the session, but aborted it as he didn’t want to benefit the riders behind him.

In contrast, Marquez sailed carefree towards pole position, heading a Honda one-two with Estrella Galicia teammate Alex Rins only just failing to topple the world championship leader by 0.014 of a second.

Of the Australian wild cards, Remy Gardner continued to impress in qualifying in 24th place just 1.4 seconds off Marquez’s pole time, while Olly Simpson will line up from 33rd on the grid.

RESULTS - Moto3 Qualifying (40 min)
1. (12) Alex Marquez (Honda) 1m36.050s
2. (42) Alex Rins (Honda) +0.014s
3. (58) Juanfran Guevara (Kalex KTM) +0.339s
4. (52) Danny Kent (Husqvarna) +0.369s
5. (17) John McPhee (Honda) +0.471s
6. (7) Efren Vazquez (Honda) +0.522s
7. (13) Jasper Iwema (Mahindra) +0.590s
8. (8) Jack Miller (KTM) +0.622s
9. (10) Alexis Masbou (Honda) +0.638s
10. (5) Romano Fenati (KTM) +0.642s
24. (2) Remy Gardner (KTM) +1.422s
33. (45) Olly Simpson (KTM) +2.943s

Esteve Rabat will try to win the Moto2 title from pole position.

MOTO2
DESPITE his dominant start to the weekend, world Championship leader Esteve Rabat snatched Moto2 pole position by just 0.015 of a second.

Johann Zarco nearly toppled Rabat but will instead line up in between the two world title contenders, with Mika Kallio set to start from third on the grid.

Rabat can secure the world championship in Sunday’s race if he wins and Kallio finishes no better than fourth.

Maverick Vinales, Thomas Luthi and Sandro Cortese make up the second row of the grid, while Sam Lowes, Jordi Torres and Xavier Simeon line up on the third.

Australian rider Anthony West struggled to 25th in the session, while both of the local wildcard riders also qualified near the tail of the grid.

Aiden Wagner will make his world championship race debut from 31st on the grid, while Max Croker squeaked inside the slowest allowable qualifying time by 0.363 of a second.

RESULTS - Moto2 Qualifying (45 min)
1. (53) Esteve Rabat (Kalex) 1m32.470s
2. (5) Johann Zarco (Caterham Suter) +0.015s
3. (36) Mika Kallio (Kalex) +0.228s
4. (40) Maverick Vinales (Kalex) +0.242s
5. (12) Thomas Luthi (Suter) +0.287s
6. (11) Sandro Cortese (Kalex) +0.354s
7. (22) Sam Lowes (Speed Up) +0.468s
8. (81) Jordi Torres (Suter) +0.471s
9. (19) Xavier Simeon (Suter) +0.490s
10. (23) Marcel Schrotter (Tech 3) +0.494s
11. (95) Anthony West (Speed Up) +1.530s
31. (41) Aiden Wagner (Kalex) +2.702s
34. (42) Max Croker (Suter) +6.149s

A technical error forced our live blog to cease following MotoGP Qualifying 1.

Originally published as Australian MotoGP 2014, Live: Phillip Island practice and qualifying updates, photo and video