Marc Marquez starred in another spectacular race today, at one of the most beautiful and fastest tracks on the calendar. The reigning MotoGP World Champion claimed victory in the Australian GP, in what is his his fifth win of the season and 50th of his Grand Prix career. The Repsol Honda Team rider had a score to settle with Phillip Island, and was finally able to win there in the premier class after passing Jorge Lorenzo on the final lap. Dani Pedrosa, who upped his pace from practice, eventually finished fifth.
Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa tried to stay in the leading group in the early stages of the race. However, he gradually lost ground and became involved in a different battle, eventually fending off Maverick Viñales and Cal Crutchlow in the fight for fifth place. In five days' time, MotoGP returns to action at Sepang, Malaysia, in the penultimate round of the 2015 season.
"It was a really fun race ‒ certainly one to remember ‒ and it had different phases to it. At the beginning there was a lot of overtaking, then when I passed Jorge it seemed that I was breaking away. However, I overheated the front tyre and had to slow my pace. At the end I overtook Iannone and Valentino and I had a great last lap; I don't know where I pulled that time out from, but it was what made the difference for us! I want to thank all the team, Honda and all the fans. After a difficult season it’s always nice to finish the year with some victories!"
GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRALIA - RACE RESULTS
1. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 40'33.849
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP + 00.249
3. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Ducati Team + 00.930
4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP + 1.058
5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team + 5.062
6. Maverick Viñales (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar + 6.800
7. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) CWM LCR Honda + 9.375
8. Pol Espargarò (SPA) Monster Yamaha Tech3 + 18.401
9. Aleix Espargarò (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar + 20.039
10. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 + 20.657
11. Scott Redding (GBR) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS + 21.846
12. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Octo Pramac Racing + 22.840
13. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team + 29.168
14. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini + 37.244
15. Jack Miller (AUS) CWM LCR Honda + 40.192
16. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Racing + 48.263
17. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Octo Pramac Racing + 48.572
18. Loris Baz (FRA) Forward Racing + 48.677
19. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aspar MotoGP Team + 50.201
20. Mike Di Meglio (FRA) Avintia Racing + 50.262
21. Stefan Bradl (GER) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini + 50.277
22. Toni Elias (SPA) Forward Racing + 1'20.942
23. Anthony West (AUS) AB Motoracing + 1'23.454
24. Nicky Hayden (USA) Aspar MotoGP Team N.C. (18 laps)
25. Damian Cudlin (AUS) E-Motion IodaRacing Team N.C. (18 laps)
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATION RIDER
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 296
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 285
3. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 222
4. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Ducati Team 188
5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 165
6. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 158
7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team 153
8. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) CWM LCR Honda 107
9. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Octo Pramac Racing 97
10. Pol Espargarò (SPA) Monster Yamaha Tech3 96
11. Aleix Espargarò (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar 88
12. Maverick Viñales (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar 84
13. Scott Redding (GBR) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 78
14. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Octo Pramac Racing 49
15. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Racing 30
16. Loris Baz (FRA) Forward Racing 28
17. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 28
18. Jack Miller (AUS) CWM LCR Honda 17
19. Nicky Hayden (USA) Aspar MotoGP Team 16
20. Stefan Bradl (GER) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 11
21. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aspar MotoGP Team 9
22. Mike Di Meglio (FRA) Avintia Racing 8
23. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 5
24. Alex De Angelis (RSM) E-Motion IodaRacing Team 2
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATION CONSTRUCTOR
1. Yamaha 362
2. Honda 310
3. Ducati 237
4. Suzuki 120
5. Forward Yamaha 33
6. Aprilia 28
7. ART 2