Australian MotoGP: Defending champion Maverick Vinales sets hot pace at Phillip Island

Yamaha top gun Maverick Vinales signalled his intentions to repeat his 2018 Australian MotoGP victory with a blistering practice session at Phillip Island. The practice day also featured some spectacular tumbles.

Remy Gardner comes crashing down in Moto2 action at Phillip Island.

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Yamaha top gun Maverick Vinales signalled his intentions to repeat his 2018 Australian MotoGP victory with a blistering practice session at Phillip Island.

The Spaniard will go into Saturday’s qualifying on the back of a 1 min, 28.828 sec lap, a full half second ahead of factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Vinales’s time was the fastest at the 4.445km coastal circuit since Marc Marquez’s qualification lap in 2017. Australian Jack Miller was fifth quickest in the dry session, backing up his strong performance in the rain in the opening practice.

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Australia’s Remy Gardner loses control during Moto2 practice.

The Pramac Ducati rider was a mere 0.024 seconds behind Dovizioso and third-placed Cal Crutchlow (Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati).

The afternoon session was held in dry conditions, compared to the wind and rain of the morning which brought about a serious of spectacular crashes, including Australian Remy Gardner in Moto2.

Gardner walked away but was taken to the medical centre for a check-up.

He had been quickest early in the session, and finished up in 11th position, 1.9 seconds behind the quickest rider Jorge Martin.

Gardner struggled in the afternoon session on his spare bike and was 19th on the timesheets.

Remy Gardner hits the asphalt.

Moto2 rider Remy Gardner crashes into the gravel.

Moto2 rider Xavi Cardelus is separated from his bike.

German rider Lukas Tulovic catapults over the handlebars.

World champion Marquez had to settle for sixth fastest in the afternoon, after bumping into teammate Jorge Lorenzo on the last corner of his final flying lap.

Lorenzo was slowing down but held the race line, forcing Marquez to bump into his teammate.

On the slow down lap, Marquez remonstrated with Lorenzo, clearly unhappy that his fast lap had been affected.

Lorenzo again struggled for pace, finishing in 16th, almost two seconds behind the leaders.

Italian Valentino Rossi was seventh fastest on the factory Yamaha, followed by Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Franco Morbidelli.

Originally published as Australian MotoGP: Defending champion Maverick Vinales sets hot pace at Phillip Island