Marco Bezzecchi and a wallaby both caused red flags in Friday afternoon practice for MotoGP's last Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, but Bezzecchi at least managed to end the session on top.
Bezzecchi ran into the back of Alex Marquez's Gresini Ducati as they went towards the slow Miller corner early in the session, with the brush between them at just the right angle to instantly wrap the majority of side bodywork off the Aprilia.
As the bodywork section fluttered into the air, Bezzecchi came close to hitting Marc Marquez's Ducati ahead as he slewed into the corner out of control before having an ultimately quite low speed fall in the grass and getting stuck under his bike briefly.
A bemused Alex Marquez went off down the escape road gesticulating at Bezzecchi - and then ironically ended his day with his own crash at the same corner during the final flying laps.
The red flag to tidy up from that crash was followed soon afterwards by another when a wallaby appeared on the trackside grass.
Bezzecchi was soon back out after the incident and ultimately led what would have been an all-Aprilia top four had Marc Marquez not got his Ducati into third between Trackhouse pair Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura.
Championship leader Jorge Martin was the last Aprilia in fifth.
That Friday form - on a sunny if gusty day - may mean little from here, though, with varying degrees of rain forecast for the main part of the weekend.
Alex Marquez's late crash didn't stop him going through to Q2 in sixth.
KTM has two bikes in Q2 with Enea Bastianini and Pedro Acosta, while Honda will be represented there by LCR's Diogo Moreira.
But the factory Honda team may not be represented at all for the rest of the weekend. Luca Marini was already its only rider here as Joan Mir's illness continues and with previous substitutes Taka Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro injured. Then Marini pulled out of Friday running with an illness of his own after just two slow laps in first practice.
Home favourite Jack Miller followed his crash at the end of morning practice with another crash at the start of afternoon practice, but did then get a Yamaha closer to Q2 than anyone else by going 12th quickest.
Pramac had incidents with both bikes as Miller's rest-of-2026 team-mate Augusto Fernandez also fell on his first day stepping in for the injured Toprak Razgatlioglu.