What a race and what a comeback with Marc Marquez who just shut down Jorge Martin on time to take home that 2024 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix win for Gresini Racing (Ducati) at Phillip Island.
He may had a bad start over from 2nd to 10th when he forgot to tear off his visor sheet that could’ve been so costly had M. Marquez spun out of control, which was so, so close. But fast forward over the next 20-25 odd laps, M. Marquez made up so much lost time by closing in on the race leader Martin before he finally got around him for 1st with only a few laps to go, and he too has defended really well that saw the best of the Spaniard once again…in a Ducati at Phillip Island. This is his 4th win Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix win here since 2019 when he was with the Honda Factory Team back then with a big move ahead to the Ducati works team next season alongside an up-to-date bike rather than a year old bike.
For Martin, commiserations on finishing 2nd for Pramac Racing (Ducati) when he was leading out in front for the most part, having seen him take home the Sprint race yesterday. But this feature race is so different though where no front running rider will give one away lightly as M. Marquez’s brilliant late race fight proved so difficult for Martin to shut him down towards the end there, especially with little time remaining. The good news is though that not only he’s happy to take home 2nd but Martin still has a 20-point lead in the riders’ points ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (who finished 3rd for Ducati) with three rounds left this season.
What else? Plenty of Ducati success also to fill up the Top 6 alongside some Aprillias a bit down the order including two x KTM Red Bull factory bikes, with South African rider Brad Binder in 7th & Aussie’s own Jack Miller in 11th respectively. For Miller, we may not seen much of him this season but at least he will have a ride next year at Pramac albeit in a Yamaha satellite bike.
That’s it from Phillip Island as best of luck over the rest of this season and most of next year before all the world’s best riders come back here for another edition of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. And last but not least, great to see a few other well-known people during this weekend – such as two legendary Australian motorsport icons in former 5 x 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan & former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber as well as New Zealander Simon Crafar who will be leaving his seasonal pit reporting post for the World Feed at season’s end after 7 years to become the chief steward.
