Marquez takes Australian victory, but home hero shines

IN yet another race this season, the victory was decided on the last lap after a ferocious battle between two factory giants.

Repsol Honda rider and reigning world champion Marc Marquez took the win after a hard charging Maverick Vinales crashed out on the final lap.

At the start, the Yamaha and Honda duo got off to shaky starts, dropping back in the field, leaving Monster Energy Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi to lead into the first lap, followed by the unusual pair of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Andrea Iannone (Gresini Aprilia).

The ideal start to his 400^th GP was short lived as he conceded his lead on lap three, then quickly dropping back down the field.

“Like always we have a lack of grip on the rear. I’m very slow in the straight but also in the acceleration I’m not able to exit from the corner very fast.” Explained Rossi, who would take his YZR-M1 home in eighth at the flag.

Rookie sensation, Fabio Quartararo’s hopes of a maiden win were dashed after just two corners after a mistake left him running wide into turn 2, putting him right in the path of a high siding Danilo Petrucci, putting them both out of the race.

As Rossi dropped down the field, that left Crutchlow and Iannone to trade positions at the front, before Vinales put in a number of shockingly fast laps to take both in quick succession and into the lead.

Marquez was also making his presence know, slipstreaming past Iannone before barging past Crutchlow into Lukey Heights.

The pair would go on to break out a lead at the front, trading positions before eventually the factory Yamaha rider lost the front and slid out of contention, gifting Marquez his 11^th win this season.

Crutchlow inherited second to form a Honda 1-2, his best result of 2019, 11.4s behind Marquez.

Home hero Jack Miller, running a special medieval knight livery for his home race, was promoted into third and took the final podium position.

Pramac Ducati team mate Pecco Bagnaia took a season best of fifth, followed by Joan Mir’s best result of sixth.

Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo rounded up the field in dead last, nearly a minute behind the leader.

His season continues to go from bad to worse, however in recent announcements; Honda bosses have revealed that the Mallorcan former World Champion’s Honda RC213V has been suffering from season long technical issues, only just not discovered by technicians.

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