Aussie Ace Miller Sets the Pace in Phillip Island FP1

Australian motorcycle ace Jack “Thriller” Miller lit up Phillip Island in sensational fashion as he stormed to first place in Free Practice 1 (FP1) at his home Grand Prix. Battling unpredictable conditions and fierce competition, Miller’s late-dash lap proved decisive, thrilling the local crowd with a statement of intent.

For much of the session, Miller languished outside the top ten, but in true racer’s form, he saved his best for last. As the chequered flag loomed, the #43 produced a stunning lap to unseat Álex Márquez of BK8 Gresini Racing, who had held provisional top spot. Tensions flared when Márquez had a moment of contact with Miller’s teammate Miguel Oliveira at Turn 1, though Márquez was able to stay upright and avoid disaster.

Behind Miller and Márquez, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the top three, landing just 0.135 seconds shy of the summit. Meanwhile, Fermín Aldeguer of BK8 Gresini grabbed fourth, riding high off the momentum from his breakthrough win in Indonesia. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) slotted into fifth, maintaining his consistency among a fiercely competitive field.

Marco Bezzecchi showed flashes of pace, topping various sections of track time, but ultimately settled for sixth. The start was trickier for Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia of Ducati’s Lenovo Team. He returned from his out-lap visibly frustrated, subsequently logging four fast laps—but his discomfort lingered, and he crossed the line in seventh, gesturing to his GP25 machine as he shook his head.

Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) placed eighth, Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Racing) ninth, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) rounded out the top ten. Elsewhere in the pack, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) encountered a severe mechanical issue at Turn 1 late in the session, with smoke pouring from the engine. He nevertheless limped back to 12th. Franco Morbidelli crashed at Turn 1 earlier, but walked away unhurt and resumed to finish 14th.

FP1 at Phillip Island served up thrills, drama, and a reminder that on home soil, Miller is anything but predictable. As practice continues, all eyes will be on whether he can carry this momentum into the afternoon sessions—and beyond.