Rins wins Phillip Island MotoGP thriller

The 2022 Australian Grand Prix almost made up for the three-year hiatus with yet another Island cracker, with the top seven riders crossing the line under a second of one another after a thrilling 27-lap race.

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) had broken Jorge Lorenzo’s nine-year-old circuit record to take pole position from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), with the top three championship contenders starting from third, fourth and fifth. Form man Jack Miller struggled to replicate the speed in qualifying that he’s shown in recent rounds, the Aussie starting from the middle third row in eighth.

It was Martin who nabbed the holeshot from Marquez into Turn 1 with Quartararo getting the best launch of his title rivals, tucking into third place with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) right on his tail. Lenovo Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia had struggled to engage his front starting device, so, despite out-qualifying both Quartararo and Espargaro, he was mired down in fifth place trying to keep his nose clean.

To the delight of Aussie fans, Miller got a good start and was with the leading group as the pack negotiated the Southern Loop for the first time. It was a scrappy first lap for Quartararo who was desperate to stay with the leading pair, but a level-headed Bagnaia had picked his way through to lead both of his rivals over the line in third place to start lap two.

Already it looked as if Martin and Marquez were getting away, eight-tenths clear of Bagnaia the second time around, and while Miller got a good launch off the line, he found himself back where he started in eighth place. One lap later, however, the Aussie found some rhythm and had passed Alex Marquez (LCR Honda), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46), Quartararo and Espargaro and was on the tail of teammate Bagnaia where he’d bide his time to see how the race unfolded. At least that was the plan.

On the next lap, Quartararo missed his braking marker at the newly named Miller Corner at Turn 4, dropping him back to 22nd, while Suzuki Ecstar rider Alex Rins was showing some incredible pace carving through the pack from 10th on the grid.

To the delight of home fans, Miller passed his teammate for third with over 22 laps left to run, setting himself up for a fairytale home victory, but Rins’ charge continued, passing three riders in as many laps to slot himself into the final podium position on just lap eight.

But the next time around, Miller’s victory hopes went from bad to worse when – at Miller Corner – Alex Marquez got it all out of shape heading into the hairpin and slammed into the unknowing Aussie, with both riders crashing out.

Up front, Martin led over the line, but Rins passed Marquez for second to start lap 10. The high drama continued as Quartarato lost the front at Turn 2 while trying to claw his way back into point-scoring contention. Meanwhile, at the halfway mark, Rins hit the lead for the first time.

With Espargaro still circulating in the top six, Bagnaia couldn’t relax – especially since Mooney VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzechi had found his rhythm and was up to fourth, on the hunt for his first ever premier-class win – and the factory Ducati rider muscled his way to the front by lap 16.

And as he has so many times before this season, Bagnaia looked unflappable at the front as he led the chasing pack for the next four laps. But Rins was desperate to put his Suzuki on the top step one more time before the end of the season officially marks the Hamamatsu firm’s withdrawal from the sport, and he was back in front through Stoner Corner with eight to go.

Good mate and fellow Ducati rider Bezzechi was now behind Bagnaia, and went with him into second when Bagnaia made another lunge past Rins for the lead – and whether by design or by chance, Bezzechi never made a move on his fellow Italian between then and the end of the race.

Not that it meant Bagnaia had it easy. Not even when the pair were half a second clear. Not with the likes of Marquez, Rins and Martin all with nothing to lose and all vying for race-day glory.

With three to go, Rins eased by Bezzechi at Stoner Corner, with Marquez also forcing his way through one corner later. Bagnaia held firm at the front as Rins and Marquez traded positions through the Southern Loop and Stoner Corner the next time around.

And while Bagnaia led the charge over the line to start the last lap, Rins stuffed it up the inside on the entry into Southern Loop, Marquez followed him through on the exit of Southern Loop, and at that point the Ducati man opted to take the 16 points rather than the risks involved in fighting for the win.

Marc Marquez did risk it all – especially since a win would be the perfect way to celebrate his 100th premier-class podium – but Rins was just too good, defending his position brilliantly all the way to the chequered flag for a well-deserved victory, and to become the seventh different winner in 2022.

Bagnaia crossed the line in third, just 0.224sec behind the Spaniard, followed by 2022 Rookie of the Year Bezzechi, Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini, Marini and Martin all crossing the line within 0.884sec. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Ducati) passed Espargaro for eighth with Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder completing the top 10. Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM) finished 15th in what was his final grand prix in front of home fans before his switch to WorldSBK.

The result means Bagnaia (233pt) is now 14 points clear of Quartararo (219pt) with two races left to run. Espargaro (206) failed to capitalise on Quartararo’s non-score and stays in third. Bastianini (191pt) remains in unlikely contention, while Miller’s (179pt) title hopes are now extinguished.

While the MotoGP race was one of the closest in GP history, the same can’t be said for the 25-lap Moto2 Grand Prix, whose top seven riders were separated by over 16 seconds at the flag, but that’s not to say there weren’t some memorable moments.

Not least by eventual winner Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up). The Spaniard had a long-lap penalty to serve for irresponsible riding during practice, so with many of the hallmarks that secured Valentino Rossi that incredible premier class win in 2003 at the Island, Lopez took the lead by Turn 4 of the opening lap and in just three short laps built a gap big enough so he could serve his penalty and rejoin the race without dropping a position. In fact, he rejoined the race 1.2 secs clear of pole man and teammate Fermin Aldeguer and went on to win by a full 3.5sec.

In terms of the title, only 1.5 points separated title rivals Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) heading into Australian round, and with Ogura struggling down in 15th place for much of the race, Fernandez was well placed to capitalise on the Japanese man’s bad day. Especially since he was circulating in the podium places. However, his rookie teammate Pedro Acosta – who had never been to Phillip Island before on any bike – wasn’t about to do him any favours; he passed Fernandez for second place to start lap nine as he lead the charge to try and chase down the dominant Lopez.

But with three to go, the rookie was too good for Fernandez, and the Spaniard lost the front through Southern Loop with just three laps to go, handing Ogura – who eventually crossed the line in 11th – the title lead. GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon scored a popular third place to round out the podium.

Just 3.5 points now separate Ogura (242pt) from Fernandez (238.5), while Flexbox HP40's Aron Canet’s ninth-place finish now puts him out of title contention.

Izan Guevara (GasGas Aspar) only needed to score two points more than Leopard Honda’s Dennis Foggia to be crowned 2022 Moto3 World Champion on Aussie soil, but while Foggia struggled uncharacteristically mid pack, the talented young Spaniard put it all on the line to celebrate the title from the top step of the podium.

Aussie fans had plenty to cheer for in the 23-lap lightweight GP, as home hero Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) got a blistering start from 14th on the grid to put himself up into podium contention early on, the experience of the leading riders would eventually see him cross the line in eighth place, but it is still his best finish of what’s been an injury-strewn rookie season.

It was a typical Moto3 melee for the 40,000 Aussie fans watching on, with what was an eventual four-rider scrap for the win between the three title contenders in Guevara, teammate Sergio Garcia and pole man Ayumi Sasaki (Husqvarna Sterilgarda Max Racing) – the latter two desperate to keep their title chances alive for another race, while Deniz Oncu (Red Bull KTM Tech3) could smell his first-ever Moto3 victory.

But showing the speed, talent and safe hands that had won him five races and nine podiums previously this season, Guevara timed his race beautifully to cross the line 0.345sec clear of Oncu to claim the Moto3 World Championship. Garcia rounded out the podium ahead of Sasaki.

Seven seconds further back, Stefano Nepa got the better of the second group of four riders, ahead of John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets KTM) and Kelso. Foggia beat Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in the battle for ninth, almost 17 seconds behind Guavera.

Guevara (290pt) is now an uncatchable 65 points clear, as Garcia (225pt) leapfrogs Foggia (223pt ) for third. Kelso (36pt) moves up to 21st from 42 riders.