Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez overcame a poor start to win the Australian Grand Prix, beating championship leader Jorge Martin into second place.
Italy’s defending champion Francesco Bagnaia moved up from fifth on the grid to finish third but lost ground on Pramac Racing’s Martin in his quest for a third successive title.
Martin, 26, who claimed victory in Saturday’s sprint race, stretched his overall lead to 20 points over Ducati rider Bagnaia with three race weekends remaining.
It was Marquez, however, who took the spoils at Victoria’s Phillip Island circuit, despite falling from second on the grid to outside the top 10 after a tear-off from his own visor got stuck under his back tyre at the start.
Martin looked set to increase his championship lead even further after making a perfect start from pole and leading for much of the 27-lap race, but after being caught by Marquez in the closing stages the two riders swapped places a number of times in the final moments before the Gresini Racing rider finally came out on top.
Racing now moves on to the Thailand Grand Prix, which takes place at the Chang International Circuit on Saturday and Sunday, 26-27 October.
