Marquez wins under Aussie GP sunshine

At the pointy end of what’s been dubbed a “championship of mistakes”, the remaining two riders left to fight for the 2024 MotoGP World Championship had a relatively unscathed Australian Grand Prix.

It was championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) who left Phillip Island more jubilant than his title rival Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) after doubling his lead from 10 to 20 points following a Sprint victory and a safe second place in the 27-lap grand prix. And although three-time world champ Bagnaia couldn’t match Martin’s speed or consistency at any point during the weekend having qualified seventh, he played the long game to limit the damage as best as he could, finishing the weekend with a 4-3 scorecard.

Under picture-perfect clear blue skies, the 2024 Australian Grand Prix was far from the Moto3-style melee we’ve come to expect from the 4.45km circuit, but there was more than enough intrigue to keep onlookers glued to Sunday’s feature race. Just as he did in the Saturday Sprint, Martin got a lightning start from pole and was the first rider into the Doohan corner, while front-row starter Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) – just as he did in Saturday’s Sprint – had dramas of his own to contend with.

While it was Martin braking harder than expected for the fast Turn 1 to disengage his holeshot device which sent Marquez wide and down the order on Saturday, finding himself mired down as low as 13th at the start of the full-length GP was all his own doing. Having discarded a plastic tear-off on the line which settled under the Gresini GP23’s rear tyre, Marquez’ race start was a picture of tyre smoke and sideways action as his rear Michelin failed to find traction, leaving the 31-year-old swallowed up on the grid.

But just as we’ve come to expect from the eight-time world champ, he battled through the field with his trademark skill and aggression and found himself as high as sixth by lap two, behind Martin, Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati), Bagnaia, Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder – himself from 11th on the grid – and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Ducati).

After serving a long-lap penalty for causing a sickening Turn 1 Sprint crash between himself and front-row starter Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing), Bezzecchi was an early faller, promoting a fast-starting Bagnaia to second place. And after deposing of both Morbidelli and Binder, Marquez was the fastest rider on the circuit the sixth time of asking, as he looked to close the 0.6sec gap to Bagnaia up ahead, who in turn was some 0.8sec adrift of Martin.

A man on a mission, Marquez broke his own 11-year-old race lap record with a 1m27.900s the eighth time around, and was all over Bagnaia’s rear tyre two laps later as the top three stretched a gap of almost four seconds from the chasing pack, now being led by Morbidelli.

Aussie Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) had recovered to 11th from his 17th grid position, but any hopes of figuring in his home grand prix were crushed when he failed to advance through Saturday’s Q1 session.

Martin went wide into Turn 1 to start lap 12, bringing Bagnaia and Marquez into contention, an opportunity Bagnaia seized through the fast Stoner Corner. Martin fought back immediately through Miller Corner pushing Bagnaia just wide enough to allow Marquez through to second. It was the move that would ultimately decide Pecco’s fate, the reigning world champ simply not quick enough to keep up with the two Ducati men ahead; Martin desperate to take the double win and bank maximum points, Marquez hungry to taste victory once again at the fast and flowing circuit where his skill can mask some of his year-old Ducati’s shortcomings.

Further back, Enea Bastianini was (Lenovo Ducati) was finding his rhythm and was the fastest man on track, but some 4.6sec off the leaders, while Miller had advanced through to 10th, all too little too late as the two men at the front consistently lapped in the low 1m28s.

With 10 laps to go, nothing separated Martin and Marquez, Bagnaia running in a lonely third two seconds behind the leading duo and some seven seconds clear of Morbidelli, as Marquez worked on trying to find a clean way through on the championship leader. Applying maximum pressure, the veteran pushed Martin for the next half a dozen laps, the pair over four seconds clear of Bagnaia by lap 24, and made his first move at Miller Corner with 3.5 laps left to run.

With good drive out of the final corner, Martin’s GP24 was too fast for Marquez, and he drafted easily past his compatriot at the end of the Gardner Straight to retake his long-time lead. An aggressive block pass at the same turn the next time around put Marquez back into the lead, who knew he needed to put enough air between himself and his pursuer for the remainder of the lap to ensure a repeat overtake at the end of the straight the next time around wasn’t possible.

Using all of his skill and experience he did exactly that, crossing the line to start the final lap ahead of Martin who eased off on the final circuit to bank an important 20 points. Marquez had fought back from as low as 13th on the opening lap to score his 88th grand prix win, his 67th in the premier class and his fourth at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit. Martin and then Bagnaia, now 10 seconds behind his title rival, completed the podium.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) fought through to fourth ahead of Bastianini, Morbidelli and Binder. Vinales was eighth ahead of Quartararo and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse racing), with Miller crossing the line in 11th.

The result puts Martin (424) 20 points clear of Bagnaia (404) with three rounds left to run. Marquez (345) now moves 14 points clear of Bastianini (331) in the battle for third. Miller moves up to 14th overall with 71 points.

The series now heads to Thailand’s Chang International Circuit with Free Practice kicking off this Friday.