Marquez wins at PI, Miller on the podium!

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) became the most successful premier class Honda rider thanks to a phenomenal victory in the 2019 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday, October 27.

The Spaniard and compatriot Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha) broke clear but last-lap drama saw the Yamaha man crash, allowing Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) to take second and home hero Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) to claim a stunning third place.

"Maverick was very fast today, but I was able to follow him and start slowly cooking the victory," said Marquez. "Viñales started to push very hard and very fast at the front, but I knew that if I could stay with him for four or five laps then the victory was possible.

"The team has done a great job with the limited track time we have had. We had to gamble a little bit with the soft rear tyre and it was on the limit in the end, but we were able to win!

"It’s really special to take this 55th win with Honda, I feel incredible with the Honda family and I’m excited to enjoy this moment with them and the team.”

There was surprises and drama right from the off. From fourth on the grid, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) got a great launch to get the holeshot into Doohan Corner, with Viñales slipping to sixth from pole.

Then, at turn two, two heavyweights were out of the race: Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was pushed slightly wide by Marquez as the packed shuffled into the left-hander. A little too eager on the gas, Petrucci then highsided as the Italian was launched into Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Frenchman was wide and almost on the grass before Petrucci slammed into the side; thankfully both riders were okay.

Back on track and it was The Doctor leading the way on his 400th Grand Prix start, with Crutchlow and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Andrea Iannone slotting in behind the Italian as a freight train of nine riders formed at the front in the opening handful of laps. Rossi held first until lap four when Crutchlow powered past the Yamaha into turn one.

Iannone then spectacularly led the race as Crutchlow, Iannone, Rossi, Marquez, Viñales, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Miller and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) all battled one another in a scintillating start to the 2019 Australian GP.

The form man of the weekend was slowly picking his way through the pack though. Viñales was up to third on lap eight, second on lap nine and then the lead was his on lap 10. Knowing the polesitter had the pace to make a break, third place Marquez was in a hurry to get past Crutchlow as he shoved the Brit ride at the top of Lukey Heights, dropping the No. 35 down to fourth behind Iannone.

Immediately, Viñales and Marquez were clearing off. Crutchlow passed the Aprilia into turn one and attempted to go with the leading duo as all three set mid 1:29s, seeing the trio unshackle themselves from the monstrous fight for fourth.

The LCR Honda Castrol man couldn’t hold the pace of Viñales and Marquez though, as the two Spaniards started to show their superiority around the Island. Crutchlow wasn’t troubling them, but the three-time GP winner also wasn’t being troubled from the men behind. That scrap behind was between eight riders: three Ducatis, two Suzukis, two Aprilias and a Yamaha. Rookies Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) and Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) were producing the goods as that battle chopped and changed constantly.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Back at the front, it was line astern. Viñales and Marquez were on rails as the duo raced to over three seconds clear of Crutchlow with 10 laps remaining. With a handful of laps remaining, using the Honda’s better grunt, Marquez was threating to lead at turn one – but the 2019 champion was holding back. He did it to Quartararo at Misano, was another Yamaha about to get the same treatment in Australia?

The laps ticked down and Marquez kept shying away from a turn one pass, shadowing Viñales around the rest of the lap. Last lap time. Viñales vs Marquez, Yamaha vs Honda, Spain vs Spain. This time, Marquez did fire past Viñales into turn one and the lead was his. Viñales was quick around the outside in the hope of gaining the inside line at turn two but Marquez shut the door. Turn four approached but Viñales wasn’t close enough – turn 10 now the only major overtaking opportunity. The race would then be settled on the drop into 10, but now how we imagined.

Rapid over the crest of Lukey Heights, Viñales was right on the back of Marquez. But then, the Yamaha was crossed up into the braking zone, which ultimately caused Viñales to crash out.

Unreal drama on the final lap as Marquez was lucky not to be taken out by Viñales’ stricken YZR-M1, with the No. 93 crossing the line to take victory number 55 of his MotoGP career, becoming the most successful Honda rider in the premier class, overtaking Mick Doohan’s record on the MotoGP Legend’s home circuit.

Viñales’ crash bumped 2016 Australian GP winner Crutchlow into second, a sensational result for the No. 35 after last year’s near-career ending crash at Phillip Island.

Crutchlow was delighted with his podium finish -- his third of the year.

“I knew coming into today that I had the pace to be on the podium, no matter what from Friday’s free practice," said Crutchlow. "We’ve worked hard for this, three podiums in the year is always good, it’s unfortunate that Maverick fell off, but we were still on the podium and we have to be happy with our pace today.

"I didn’t have the grip or the bike under me to be able to go with Marc (Marquez) or Maverick (Vinales) so I had a big gap behind and was happy with my pace. The last five laps I had to manage my rear tyre and I was just riding home and then it started raining on the final lap!

"I’m really, really pleased to get a podium here in Australia after what happened last year, at one point I didn’t think I was coming back. We know we got lucky with second place, because Maverick deserved to be on the podium, but it’s great to be up on the podium with my mate Jack [Miller]”.

On the last lap, Miller found himself at the forefront of the battle for fifth after Dovi ran wide at turn two. That fight for fourth was now a battle for third though and, on the run to the line, Miller had to fend off teammate Bagnaia for a dream home GP rostrum.

Sensational scenes prevailed for Miller, the Australian fans and the Pramac garage as both riders produced a stunner – Pecco pocketing his best MotoGP result in fourth. It was a magnificent ride from the Italian rookie having started from 15th, who beats fellow rookie Mir. The Spaniard also claimed his best premier class result in fifth, the Suzuki man holding off the super impressive Iannone as ‘The Maniac’ takes his best Aprilia finish. Dovizioso crossed the line in seventh just a whisker behind Iannone, with Rossi getting the better of Rins and Espargaro for positions 8-10.

The penultimate round of the MotoGP title will be held at Sepang in Malaysia from November 1-3.

Top 10:
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
2. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) + 11.413
3. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) + 14.499
4. Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) + 14.554
5. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 14.817
6. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 15.280
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) + 15.294
8. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 15.841
9. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 16.032
10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 16.590

In the intermediate category, it was a superb 1-2 for Red Bull KTM riders Brad Binder and Jorge Martin, with Tom Luthi third and Aussie Remy Gardner sixth.

Alex Marquez was eighth, and is 28 points in front of Luthi with two rounds remaining.

In Moto3, there were wild celebrations as Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda) wrapped up the title after defeating teammate Marcos Ramirez and Albert Arenas in a typically hard-fougjht lightweight race.