Marc Márquez took his third victory of the season after a spectacular duel at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Jorge Martin, who finished second, extended his championship lead, while Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium.
Gresini rider Marc Marquez did not have the best start when an unusual incident delayed him at the start. After removing the visor protection from his helmet just before the start, the plastic ended up under the rear wheel of his bike, causing a skid that lost him several positions. ‘I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before, the rear wheel skidded on the plastic and it made me lose a lot of time ‘ commented Marquez after the race.
Despite falling out of the top 10 in the first meters, the Cervera rider showed his characteristic skill and began an impressive comeback in the first few corners, quickly placing himself among the leaders.
An exciting duel with Jorge Martín
Once recovered, Márquez found his rhythm and began an intense battle with Jorge Martín, who was leading the race. Although Martin tried to keep the Gresini rider at bay, Marquez waited for the right moment to overtake on the final lap, securing victory in a decisive corner.
‘I knew I had to take care of the tires for the end. Jorge was very fast, but I was confident on the last lap’, said Marquez after his victory. Meanwhile, Martin, who had won Saturday’s sprint race, opted not to risk too much, aware that a second place gave him a key advantage in the fight for the championship. ‘It was a complicated race because of the wind, but I’m happy with the result’ commented Martin.
Bagnaia in the fight for the title and Ducati dominance
Third place went to Francesco Bagnaia, who remains Martin’s main rival for the championship. Despite not being able to fight for the victory on this occasion, the Italian rider ended up satisfied by minimizing the loss of points. ‘I couldn’t keep up with Marc and Jorge, but securing the podium was the most important thing’, declared Bagnaia.
Ducati’s dominance was evident once again, as the top six positions were occupied by bikes from the Italian brand. Fabio Di Giannantonio was fourth, followed by Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli. This result reinforces Ducati’s dominance in the 2024 season.
