Vinales stakes early claim on victory Down Under

Bengaluru, October 25: Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ruled Day 1 at the Australian Grand Prix, fastest in the wet and dry to make it double trouble for his rivals.

By the end of the day, the only man within half a second of the Spaniard was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), although Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was only hundredths off joining the bracket as the Briton took third.

In classic Phillip Island style, Friday (October 25) saw a few different seasons hit the circuit and it started with a wintery, rainy FP1.

Vinales made short work of that from home hero Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), and once the sun was back out in the afternoon the 2018 winner repeated the feat, this time from Dovizioso and Crutchlow, who were split by just five thousandths.

Milestone man

Behind Vinales, hundredths and thousandths were the deciding margins in a tight top eight. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was just 0.002 behind Crutchlow, with local favourite Miller completing the top five after ending up 0.017 in further arrears.

0.077 was then the gap back to Marquez in P6, with the number 93 getting the better of milestone man Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by just 0.015. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made for close company in eighth as well, 0.036 off the 'The Doctor', who is set to make his 400th Grand Prix start.

Solid performance

Missing someone? By the time you get to the latter half of the top ten of late, there's a name that you expect to have read a while ago but it wasn't to be for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).

The French rookie was putting together a solid performance for much of FP1 but disaster struck towards the end of the session as he suffered a highside and then headed for the Medical Centre.

Impressive push

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top ten after a solid outing for the Noale factory, the last man within a second of Vinales (and within half a second of everyone else).

Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 11th ahead of an impressive push from Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) in P12, with Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in 13th.

Will it rain?

For the premier class, Saturday begins at 10:50 am local time before qualifying from 3.05 pm (9.35 IST) to decide the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

Will the rain return? Tune in to find out.

(By a special arrangement with Dorna Sports)