Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP |News details:Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Take P7 & P13 in Phillip Island Sprint

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Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo had a superb Saturday morning, securing pole position with a new all-time lap record at the Phillip Island track. However, he struggled to defend his position during the 13-lap Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix Sprint, finishing it in P7. Álex Rins didn't have the start he had hoped for from P11 but through several battles still salvaged 13th position.

Phillip Island (Australia), 18th October 2025

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins lost some ground on the opening lap of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix Sprint. Showing perseverance, the teammates finished the 13-lap contest in 7th and 13th place respectively.

Quartararo had secured pole position with a new all-time lap record at the Phillip Island track. He was joined on the front row by Jack Miller in third place, making it Yamaha's first double front row since the 2021 Dutch GP. However, a mediocre start had Quartararo drop to fifth in the opening stages, and he lost another position in Turn 1 on the second lap. The Frenchman kept pushing but was passed by Fabio Di Giannantonio with five laps to go. The Yamaha man had to get a wriggle on as more chasing rivals were fast approaching. He successfully held P7 at the end of the 13 laps, completing the Sprint 8.706s from the winner.

Rins had qualified in P12 on the grid but started from 11th and initially settled in 14th place. He tried to defend his position in the busy midpack but then lost further ground. With Brad Binder crashing out on the second lap, the Spaniard was circulating in sixteenth place, but he would gradually climb back up the order. He passed Francesco Bagnaia on lap 3. With four laps to go, he also overtook Miguel Oliveira for fourteenth. As Fermín Aldeguer crashed on lap 11, Rins raced to the chequered flag holding 13th position, incredibly close behind Johann Zarco, but he just came 0.028s short. He crossed the finish line 12.132s from first.

After today's results, Quartararo stays in 9th place in the overall standings with 161 points, and Rins holds 19th position with 51 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 212 points, and Yamaha remain in 5th position in the constructor championship with 196 points.

Due to weather forecasts for Phillip Island, the timetable for the Australian GP Sunday has been adjusted. All events will start one hour later. The team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, now held from 10:40-10:50 GMT+11, and the 27-lap Race will start at 15:00.

Massimo Meregalli

Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

"It's been a mixed day overall. Fabio's performance in Q2 was outstanding: securing pole and setting a new all-time lap record again far exceeded our expectations. Jack's front-row start marks Yamaha's first double front row since the 2021 Dutch GP. Unfortunately, Fabio didn't have a good start, and selecting the medium front tyre didn't pay off. He eventually had to settle for seventh despite giving it his all. It's a pity that we couldn't capitalise on the pole position today, but we look forward to giving it another go tomorrow. Álex couldn't replicate the feeling he had Friday afternoon during today's Q2, and this was also reflected in the Sprint. We'll analyse today's data closely to prepare for tomorrow's Race, which is expected to be challenging. Weather forecasts predict severely windy conditions tomorrow, hence the amended MotoGP time schedule. It will be a tricky outing for the riders, who will have to adapt to the changeable conditions and anticipate gusts of wind in certain parts of the track."

Fabio Quartararo

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

"I didn't expect today's pole, so maybe that makes it the best one. I didn't expect to make this lap time – it was today's highlight. My start was bad, and in general I expected more from the Sprint, but I made a mistake choosing the medium tyre. The team was pushing me to go with the hard, but I wanted to go with the medium because I set the pole on that tyre and it felt stable, and I had good grip on the used tyre. But the medium was really soft for us in the afternoon. I'm still happy, though. Basically, I said: 'If the medium tyre works, it's good, and if it doesn't, it's good information for tomorrow'. Now we know we need the hard tyre for the Race."

Álex Rins

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

"Overall, it was not so easy. I tried a different setting in FP2 and went back again to yesterday's set-up for qualifying, but I didn't have the same traction as yesterday, and it was quite difficult to manage. I tried to enjoy the Sprint, but it was tough. I spent a lot of time behind other riders. When I had clear track ahead of me, I was able to go into the 1'27s, but not with other riders in front of me. We will try to improve our setting for tomorrow, and let's see."