Márquez took control in Australia and opens a ten-point lead over Martín
The Ducati rider won the Sprint at Phillip Island after a fierce duel that ended with the Aprilia rider crashing and being taken to the medical centre. The final race at the circuit is tomorrow.
The clouds covered Phillip Island, but the battle for the lead was as clear as it gets. Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín fought head to head for eight laps of Saturday's Sprint. Minimal gaps. Constant pressure. And then the Aprilia went down.
Martín was looking for a way past Márquez when he lost control. He was immediately taken to the circuit's medical centre, where he remains under observation to determine whether he can compete in Sunday's main race.
The race turned in one move
With Martín out of the fight, Márquez had no rival left to manage. He crossed the line first and added victory number 24 in Sprint format to his record. His brother Álex completed the Ducati podium, while Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped from eighth place to third and closed a 1-2-3 for the Italian manufacturer.
- First place: Marc Márquez, Ducati
- Second place: Álex Márquez, Ducati
- Third place: Fabio Di Giannantonio, Ducati
- Fourth place: Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia
- Fifth place: Pedro Acosta, KTM
Behind them came Ai Ogura, Brad Binder, Jack Miller, Diogo Moreira and Iker Lecuona, who completed the top ten. The local Miller had the home crowd behind him, but there was no Australian on the podium.
“Márquez got the Sprint win and now leads the championship by ten points. The question for Sunday is whether Martín can recover in time to compete and cut that advantage.”Emiliano Gramajo, Deportes
The championship is tight after weeks of alternating leadership. Márquez now has 365 points. Martín has 355. And the pressure could not be higher: Sunday's Grand Prix will be the last race MotoGP holds at Phillip Island, so every point in play has an extra weight.
The setting is ideal for a rivalry with history behind it. The duel between Márquez and Martín has become one of the most compelling fights in recent MotoGP. Saturday at Phillip Island added a chapter with an unexpected ending. The question is whether the medical centre can give the story a different ending on Sunday.
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