Marc Marquez snatched a race win from Yamaha in an epic four-rider battle.
MotoGP Australia Race Report
In Phillip Island, it was a fine day for racing. With a 40° track temperature and not a cloud in sight, on a near-perfect track, every racer went for the softer option tyres. It was a golden opportunity for the frontrunners Lorenzo and Rossi to battle it out, and decide the championship once and for all.
From the grid, it looked as if Lorenzo was going to pull his usual trick of accelerating away from the pack, but something stopped him from speeding off into the distance. A Ducati GP15, ridden by Andrea Iannone, zoomed to the front of the pack and passed Lorenzo with unmatchable straight-line speed.
Iannone held off Lorenzo and Marc Marquez until he met his own nemesis – a low-flying seagull. On lap 2, Andrea collided with the bird, which bounced off his helmet and met a sticky end on the track. This unexpected missile took the edge of Iannone’s momentum and started a thrilling race-long battle for the podium.
Iannone described the excitement of his battle with the top riders: “It is an amazing fight, an amazing race! Incredible. My first race with a strong fight so I’m happy because I fought with the best riders in the MotoGP class with many titles. I try my best and I keep the podium!”
It was Marc Marquez who came out on top of that fight – and he waited until the last lap to do it! The reigning MotoGP champion definitely knows how to win a race in style, and that’s exactly what he did, passing the formidable Lorenzo with a record-breaking 1’29.280 lap time.
Even Marquez himself was surprised by his incredible pace: “The last lap I pushed 100%. I didn’t expect to arrive to Jorge but really happy for the win. I don’t know where I pulled that time out from, but it was what made the difference for us!”
This was Marc Marquez’s first win at Phillip Island – not only his first win, but the first time he’s even finished this circuit on a MotoGP bike. This is his 50th GP win, and he is the youngest rider to reach that figure. That now leaves only one track (Motegi) that he hasn’t won at in the premier class. Now if that’s not Marquez back to his best, we don’t know what is.
The title race is closer than ever…
After having the race win snatched out from under his tyres, Jorge Lorenzo finished in second. He has at least taken some points off Rossi. It’s probably not as many as he was hoping for, but there’s now a mere 11 points between the two Yamaha riders. It really is close enough to make the hairs stand up on your neck, and anything could happen in the final two races.
Lorenzo commented: “I think this was the most exciting race of the season and for sure one of the best in the last few years. To have four of the fastest riders fighting for victory in all the corners for the whole race is unbelievable.” We agree – it was definitely a treat for all MotoGP fans.
Valentino Rossi has slipped off the podium for only the second time this season, thanks to a crowded track and Iannone’s determination to hold the Doctor at bay. Rossi did challenge for the win at several points, but he wasn’t as desperate for extra points as Lorenzo. It’s worth remembering that all Rossi has to do now is come second in the remaining races, and he’ll get his gloves on a 10th world title!
Rossi seemed pretty chilled out about losing the podium: “Today the results could have been better, but this is OK too. It could have been better if I would have been able to overtake Iannone in the last lap…arriving in fourth place is a pity, but it was still a good race.”
Apart from the Fantastic Four, who else made the top ten?
The biggest triumph belongs to the rookie Maverick Vinales, who did amazingly well for Suzuki Ecstar in 6th place. This is his best finish since Catalunya and a real boost for Suzuki, who returned to MotoGP this year.
Vinales achieved the fourth fastest lap of an incredible race, a considerable feat which led to him finishing only 6.8 seconds behind Marc Marquez. Vinales was overjoyed: “It is the first track where I could feel that I am very competitive and the first where I felt the bike is really close to the top…Finally I ended 6.8s from the winner, so this makes me very happy.”
Dani Pedrosa, after his win in Motegi, couldn’t quite keep up with the front four and achieved 5th place. Our own Cal Crutchlow achieved the top satellite rider position in 7th, after challenging strongly for the front in the first few laps. He was even in front of the factory Honda of Dani Pedrosa at one point and looked strong throughout.
Bradley Smith managed to stay in the top ten in 10th place, just below the Espargaro brothers who finished in 8th and 9th. Scott Redding just missed out in 11th place.
So, what happens next?
Despite Marc Marquez’s late heroics, it’s a two-bike race for the championship title this year. It’s anybody’s guess which Yamaha champion will pull it off in the last two races. That being said, if this race proved anything, it’s that there are a lot of other capable riders in the paddock who could upset Yamaha’s apple cart!
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We’ve covered every 2015 MotoGP and BSB race in our Racing News section. Take a trip down memory lane, re-discover your love of racing or catch up on what you’ve missed. Don’t forget to tell us who you’re backing in the comments below – what did you make of the Phillip Island battle?
Photos courtesy of www.motogp.com
