MotoGP Sunday Australian GP

Duel Down Under: Marquez vs Martin lights up the Island

Nightmare start, dream end: the #93 charges through and gets the gloves off to beat Martin, with Bagnaia doing some damage limitation in third 

At the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) engaged in an electrifying head-to-head battle, pulling away from the pack to stage a private showdown. Over the last four laps, they duelled with less than a second separating them at the line. Despite a disastrous start, Marquez triumphed, recovering to close in on Martin and ultimately overtaking him in the final stages. While Martin settled for second, it was still a productive result for the championship leader, as he extended his points lead by four. Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded out the podium, though he was distant from the top two by the race’s end.

The drama began right off the line as Marquez’s rear tire spun up in a cloud of smoke, caused by a tear-off stuck under his wheel. This mishap allowed Martin to take the holeshot, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in second and Bagnaia quickly slotting into third, deftly avoiding Marquez’s troubles. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) surged into P4, while Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rocketed from P11 to fifth with an impressive start.

Marquez wasted no time in clawing his way back into contention, quickly passing Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) after a brief tussle at Turn 4. With his sights set on the leaders, Marquez then dispatched Binder, Morbidelli, and finally Bagnaia with 22 laps to go, positioning himself in third behind Martin.

With 16 laps remaining, a small mistake from Martin allowed Bagnaia and Marquez to close in, creating a tightly contested three-way battle for the lead. Bagnaia briefly overtook Martin at Turn 3, but Martin immediately fought back at Turn 4, giving Marquez the chance to slip past Bagnaia as well, resetting the order to Martin, Marquez, and Bagnaia.

As the laps ticked down, Marquez started closing the gap to Martin. With 10 laps left, the two leaders were separated by only two-tenths of a second, while Bagnaia dropped further back, turning the race into a two-man duel. The final four laps were particularly thrilling, with the pair trading overtakes at Turn 4 and Turn 1. With four laps to go, Marquez made his first successful move on Martin at Turn 4, but Martin countered the next lap. Marquez responded once more at Turn 4, sending both riders wide but staying just within track limits.

With three laps left, Marquez edged ahead, and although Martin tried to attack again at Turn 2, Marquez pulled away. By the final lap, Marquez had established a half-second lead, securing his third win of the season.

Bagnaia, unable to match the pace of the front two, held on to finish third, earning 16 valuable points that kept him 20 points behind Martin with 111 still to play for.

Behind the podium, a fierce battle unfolded for the remaining top ten spots. Bastianini initially dropped back but fought his way forward again, engaging in tight battles with Binder, Morbidelli, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Di Giannantonio claimed fourth by a narrow margin, with Bastianini fifth. Morbidelli narrowly edged Binder for sixth in a photo finish, with Viñales taking eighth.

Further back, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) delivered a strong performance, rising from P18 to finish ninth, ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) and home favorite Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy MotoGP™) followed, with Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) rounding out the points. Alex Marquez had served a Long Lap penalty for his earlier collision with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) in Japan and ran wide at Turn 1.

Elsewhere, Mir crashed out of the race, while Bezzecchi also went down early after serving his Long Lap penalty for an incident with Viñales in the Tissot Sprint. Though Bezzecchi remounted, he was too far behind to challenge. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) didn’t start after being declared unfit following a shoulder injury sustained on Saturday.

With all the high-speed drama, expertly timed overtakes, and strategic moves, Phillip Island delivered a race to remember. The championship battle remains tense, with just 20 points now separating Martin and Bagnaia. Marquez remains a contender, while Bastianini faces a last-ditch effort to stay in the title race as the series heads to Buriram for the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Another weekend of intense racing awaits, and with Buriram’s dramatic final corner, it promises to deliver yet more thrills for MotoGP™ fans.

RESULTS

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