MotoGP: Lorenzo wins, Marquez out

There has never been anything like this. Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo has won today’s Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island in the most dramatic of circumstances – and has kept his world championship hopes alive after countryman Marc Marquez was disqualified in the 19-lap race.

Today’s event was already extraordinary in that it called for a compulsory pit stop to swap bikes after concerns about tyre degradation by official tyre supplier, Bridgestone. And that was the undoing of Marquez, who ignored the two-lap window instruction to enter the pits and was then black-flagged on lap 15 while he was lying in second place, less than a second behind Lorenzo.

Despite protestations from his team, there was nothing that Marquez could do, and his hopes of wrapping up the 2013 world title at Phillip Island were left in tatters.

With two rounds remaining at Motegi and Valencia, Marquez is now just an 18-point (298 to 280) leader over defending world champion Lorenzo, while Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda, 264pts) also remains in the championship hunt as well.

“Today has been a crazy race with this change of bikes in the middle,” said Lorenzo. “We practised it a lot, and that was one of the keys.

“Now we have made the championship open, but it will still be very tough.”

Pedrosa was second, ahead of Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing), who got the better of a fierce scrap with Cal Crutchlow (Monster Tech 3 Yamaha) and Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) over the final few laps – and as light rain began to fall in what was already a crazy day.

The race was such a whirlwind for Pedrosa that he couldn’t remember too much of it. He said: “It all happened so quickly! I decided to stop at the first opportunity and my change was fast. But I didn't have the same feeling with the second bike and when I got to Jorge and Marc I wasn't fast enough.

“But I'm very happy. My performance all weekend was good and here it's always tougher so this podium is very good.”
Meanwhile, Rossi was just proud to back on the podium at Phillip Island.

“It was a very strange race but good fun,” said the seven-time MotoGP world champion. “I was not strong enough in the first part because I was sliding too much; I had a big moment in the last corner.

“But we did a great job in the pits and I was able to overtake Cal and Bautista. In the second part of the race I was faster and I am so proud to be back on the podium here at Phillip Island where it is always such a pleasure.”

Bradley Smith (Monster Tech 3 Yamaha) was a lonely sixth place, while Aussie CRT duo Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) and Damian Cudlin (Paul Bird Motorsport) were also black-flagged after breaking the same pit lane window rule as Marquez.

Before the batch of compulsory pit stops, the first eight laps of the MotoGP race were normal service, with Lorenzo, Marquez and Pedrosa leading the way at the front of the pack.

Of the front runners, Pedrosa, Bautista and Smith were the first to pit at the end of lap eight, while Marquez continued circulating – and nearly crashed on the next lap at Lukey Heights (Turn 9) as his rear tyre began to go into meltdown.

The next lap, Lorenzo, Crutchlow and Rossi all came in -- but still no Marquez, which would be the beginning of the end for 20-year-old rookie. However, Marquez wouldn’t receive the grim news for another four laps, and as he returned to the circuit after his pit stop Lorenzo clipped him as they roared through Turn 1. Lorenzo described it: “We arrived in the first corner in the same moment: I think maybe Marc didn't look and I went too long.”

There was no damage done, and Lorenzo kept his head down to manufacturer what was eventually a 6.936-second victory over Pedrosa – his first ever MotoGP win at Phillip Island.

Only 20 riders were classified in the race, with positions 7-10 filled by Nicky Hayden, Andrea Iannone, Andrea Dovizioso – all Ducati -- and Randi de Puniet, who was also the top CRT rider.