Marc Marquez moved to within touching distance of a fourth MotoGP world title with victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Phillip Island Sunday, his sixth win of the season giving him a 33-point lead over nearest rival Andrea Dovizioso with two races remaining.
The 24-year-old Honda rider prevailed after another Phillip Island thriller with the top eight riders fighting it out over 27 laps and the lead changing hands on almost every corner at some stages, Reuters reported.
Ducati’s Dovizioso, meanwhile, had started from 11th on the grid after a disappointing qualifying and his misery was complete when he was passed by Marquez’s teammate Dani Pedrosa and Scott Redding on the final lap to finish 13th.
MotoGP great Valentino Rossi emerged from the ding-dong battle in second place with his Yamaha team mate Maverick Vinales edging Zarco out on the line to round out the podium in third.
Vinales saw his extremely slim hopes of a maiden MotoGP world title end as he slipped 50 points behind reigning champion Marquez with only three race wins to the Spaniard’s six this year.
Australian Jack Miller, returning to race action only three weeks after breaking his leg, led for the first three laps of the race but was unable to get on the podium and finished seventh.
The rain stayed away for the MotoGP showpiece, but an earlier violent storm forced a premature end to the Moto3 race.
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