Jorge Martin smashed the nine-year-old Phillip Island lap record Saturday to grab pole position for the Australian MotoGP, with world champion Fabio Quartararo coming in fifth.

In dry and partly cloudy conditions, the Spaniard ensured he will start at the front of the grid on Sunday with a blistering lap of one minute and 27.767 seconds.

It shattered the 1:27.899 mark held by Jorge Lorenzo since 2013 and, incredibly, came with the Ducati-Pramac rider having never driven the picturesque waterfront circuit before this weekend.

“It’s time to beat those records because the bikes are faster now,” said Martin.

“Yesterday I struggled a bit because I was a bit lost, it is my first time here and I had to take the measurement (of the track). But finally today I had good pace.

“I thought I could be competitive, but not this competitive. Making 1:27 is amazing. Hopefully we can fight till the end tomorrow,” he added.

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