Reigning champion Marc Marquez has bagged his fifth consecutive win of the season in the Australian Grand Prix as Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales crashed out in the last lap. Another highlight of the race was that this was the 400th GP start for Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi who secured a lead at the start. A Vinales crashing on the last lap, LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow was promoted to P2 and Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller took the third position.
There were surprises and drama right from the off. From P4 on the grid, Rossi got a great launch to get the holeshot into Doohan Corner, with Viñales slipping to P6 from pole. Then, at Turn 2, 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 of him, thankfully both riders were thankfully ok.
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 P1 until Lap 4 when Crutchlow powered past the Yamaha into Turn 1. 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 (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all battled one another in a scintillating start to the 2019 Australian GP.
On the last lap, Miller found himself at the forefront of the battle for P4 after Dovi ran wide at Turn 2. That fight for P4 was now a battle for P3 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 P4. It was a magnificent ride from the Italian rookie having started from P15, who beats fellow rookie Mir.
The Spaniard also claimed his best premier class result in P5, the Suzuki man holding off the super impressive Iannone as ‘The Maniac’ takes his best Aprilia finish. Dovizioso crossed the line in P7 just a whisker behind Iannone, as the Team Championship between Ducati Team and Repsol Honda Team sits at just one point. Rossi slipped back to eighth in the closing stages, holding off the challenge from Rins and Espargaro for P8, P9, and P10.
Marquez reigns on the Island, but Viñales was right there and showed immaculate pace all weekend. The duo – and the rest – go again in Malaysia in less than a weeks’ time at the final flyaway of the season. The temperature off track will be scorching in Sepang, let’s hope the on-track heat will be just as good as it was at Phillip Island.
