A wallaby interrupted MotoGP’s Australian Grand Prix practice on Friday, triggering the session’s second red flag at Phillip Island.
The animal appeared near the track with just over 42 minutes remaining in the afternoon session, briefly bringing riders back to the pits before leaving the area.
It followed an earlier stoppage after Marco Bezzecchi clipped the rear of Alex Marquez’s Ducati approaching Turn 4, scattering debris from his Aprilia onto the circuit.
Bezzecchi recovered to finish fastest ahead of Raul Fernandez and Marc Marquez.
The wildlife interruption was a familiar sight at Phillip Island, which also had a practice session stopped during the WorldSBK season opener in February.
On that occasion, a wallaby crossed the circuit during FP2, prompting Nicolo Bulega to abandon his run before action resumed.
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Animals have repeatedly featured during race weekends at the coastal venue, with Aleix Espargaro narrowly avoiding a wallaby during MotoGP practice in 2022, while geese brought Moto2 qualifying to an early end that same weekend.
Friday’s interruption added one possibly last wildlife cameo to Phillip Island’s MotoGP history, with the Australian Grand Prix moving to Adelaide in 2027.
The circuit first hosted the championship in 1989 and has been its regular Australian home since 1997, apart from the races cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The farewell weekend continues with qualifying and the Sprint on Saturday before Sunday’s Grand Prix.
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