Defending MotoGP champion Marc Marquez took a crucial victory in the sprint race at Phillip Island, as title rival Jorge Martin crashed out from their epic duel.
It was the dry sprint Aprilia would have hoped for given Marquez’s supremacy in the wet in qualifying earlier today – but instead it suffered a heavy title blow, and Martin faces fitness concerns after being stretchered off from the site of his crash.
Martin had gone fourth-to-second at the start, though had to fight off a counter-attack from Alex Marquez during the second lap as a five-bike lead group established itself.
But as Martin challenged Marc Marquez out front, a lunge on Alex by Pedro Acosta allowed the lead duo breathing room – and they spent the next handful of laps in a back-and-forth squabble for the lead.
Martin would repeatedly take first and then give it up through errors – going wide at the Miller corner, then at the Southern Loop – or to Marc counter-attacks.
Finally, with Alex bearing down on them again after fighting off Acosta, it proved one counter-attack too many for Martin – who crashed at speed coming through Hayshed and rolled violently in the gravel.
He didn’t immediately look in obvious strife in the aftermath of the crash, but then was put on a stretcher and taken to the medical centre for checks.
Marc Marquez controlled the race from there, with no real challenge forthcoming from Alex, and now heads Martin by 10 points in the standings.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) worked their way through the order, having sat seventh and 10th after the start, and just ran out of laps to challenge for second place.
Bezzecchi now trails Marc Marquez by 50 points in the standings.
Acosta, Ai Ogura, Brad Binder, home hero Jack Miller and ‘lone Honda standing’ Diogo Moreira made up the points.
But Ogura faces an investigation for a potential tyre pressure infringement, meaning Gresini Ducati stand-in Iker Lecuona could be in line to pick up a point.
Martin was the only rider to crash out – but there were four other retirements in Raul Fernandez (seemingly fitness-related), Maverick Vinales, Pecco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco, the latter bowing out due to an apparent mechanical issue while in the top five.
