The opening practice session of the Australian Grand Prix at the iconic Phillip Island circuit was dramatically red-flagged following a high-profile collision between Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi. The frightening incident occurred as both riders navigated the tricky sweeping corners under the notoriously strong coastal winds of the southern Australian venue.
Gresini Racing rider Alex Marquez pointed the finger directly at his Italian rival, stating that the Aprilia rider miscalculated his overtaking maneuver entirely. The contact shattered a significant portion of bodywork from the Aprilia machine before Bezzecchi slid off into the gravel trap at Turn 4.
I was ahead. I was on the normal line, in the normal rhythm, explained Alex Marquez when detailing the clash. I think his idea was to overtake me at that point, because he was faster than me, but he calculated a little bit wrong. But nothing happened, so it is okay, it is like this and that is it.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi offered his perspective on the near-miss, emphasizing that unpredictable aerodynamic factors and fierce wind gusts heavily influenced his misjudgment during the critical braking phase.
These things can happen. We were very close; he braked in a spot I hadnt expected. I just grazed him, but then I went onto the grass and slipped, Marco Bezzecchi told media outlets. There was a lot of wind and when I was close it was difficult to avoid. This is why I touched his leg, but in the end, nothing crazy.
Despite the early drama, Marco Bezzecchi bounced back brilliantly to set the absolute pace of the day, securing top spot for Aprilia. Alex Marquez also recovered sufficiently from his own late crash at Turn 4 to lock down a direct Q2 progression spot.
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