Marc Marquez wins Australia MotoGP thriller as Vinales crashes

World champion Marc Marquez secured his 11th victory of season at Australian MotoGP after disaster struck fellow Spaniard Maverick Vinales, who crashed on last lap. Monster Energy Yamaha rider had dominated all weekend at Phillip Island and was leading for much of race until Repsol Honda's Marquez darted past in dying sts. In desperate bid to retake lead, Vinales pushed too hard and skidded out to hand his gifted rival, who clinched his sixth MotoGP world title in Thailand this month, a fifth win in a row. Britain's Cal Crutchlow, who suffered career-threatening injuries at Phillip Island last year, came second on his LCR-Honda with Australian Jack Miller third on a Ducati. Italian veteran Valenti Rossi, racing in an amazing 400th Grand Prix, was eighth.

"It was an incredible, incredible victory because today we were t fastest on racetrack," said Marquez, who became Honda's most successful ever premier class rider with his 55th win surpassing Australian great Mick Doohan. "Maverick was fastest but I was waiting for him... and I did a strong move to pass, it was only chance for me. " whole weekend has been crazy," he added, after qualifying was called off on Saturday due to strong winds and instead run on Sunday morning. Asked about becoming Honda's most successful ever rider, he said: "y are biggest manufacturer in world, so I'm happy and just enjoying dream." 

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"Very special"

It was a crushing loss for Vinales, who won in Australia last year and started from pole, having reigned supreme through practice and qualifying. He had a terrible start, slipping to sixth as Rossi powered to lead before and disaster for exciting French rookie Fabio Quartararo in an incident-packed first lap. Quartararo, who was second to Marquez in Japan last weekend, and Danilo Petrucci collided, crashing out at turn two.

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It was a sobering end for 20-year-old, who was second on grid after having to go through preliminary qualifying (Q1) for first time following a nasty spill in Friday practice. By lap four Crutchlow had moved into lead, but Vinales and Marquez were starting to apply pressure and by lap 10 Vinales was in front with his rival stalking him. y began to put hammer down and pull clear of field as it turned into a two-horse race, leaving rest in a dog fight for third.

Marquez was riding on limit, giving everything he had to stay in touch and finally edged past Vinales at start of final lap before late drama as drops of rain started to fall. Crutchlow was ecstatic about making podium after horrors of last year, when he fractured his ankle and had to undergo surgery. "Crashes don't rmally phase me but that one has haunted me all year," he said after his best result of 2019. "I was t happy coming to this Grand Prix thinking about it, about what could happen, so to have a podium back here is very, very special." 

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