Marc Márquez produced a masterclass to recover from a poor start and defeat fellow Spaniard Jorge Martín at the Australian GP on Sunday, a result which sees Martín’s 2024 MotoGP World Championship lead extended to 20 points with three races to go.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Márquez got huge wheelspin off the line when his own visor tear-off got stuck under his rear Michelin soft tyre and he was outside of the top 10 by Turn 1.
He recovered superbly, though, to get back into the top six by lap two as pole position rider Martín got an early lead from VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi and then title rival Francesco Bagnaia.
By lap 12, Martín and Bagnaia exchanged the lead with Márquez getting past the Italian to take the fight to his compatriot eventually taking the lead at Turn 4 and holding on for the win by 0.997s.
It was Márquez’s third victory in his comeback season on a different bike with Bagnaia’s third place meaning Martín now leads him by 20 points heading into the last three races of 2024.
Martín, 26, said: “I was struggling to put the power on the ground so I couldn’t make a gap to Pecco and Marc, who both improved from yesterday. I tried to stay in first position for the last few laps, but Marc had nothing to lose, so it was much more difficult from my side to battle. Any chance that I have to increase the world championship lead, I will take it.”
Márquez, 31, said: “I was behind Jorge, trying to plan the attack for the last five, four laps and then I did it because had a small mistake, and I said, ‘OK, now I will lead the race’. It was nice to have a small battle with Pecco because normally he’s in front and pulls away or I’m in front and pull away. But anyway, I lost 11 points last week, now I’ve gained 10 points. Next week we don’t know.”
Elsewhere, South African Brad Binder finished seventh for Red Bull KTM with Australian teammate Jack Miller in 11th, Frenchman Johann Zarco in 12th and Spaniards Álex Márquez and Augusto Fernández in 15th and 17th respectively as the circuit moves onto the Thailand GP next weekend.
2024 Australian GP result
1. Marc Márquez SPA Gresini Ducati 39m 47.702s
2. Jorge Martín SPA Pramac Ducati +0.997s
3. Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo +10.100s
4. Fabio Di Giannantonio ITA VR46 Ducati +12.997s
5. Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo +13.310s
2024 MotoGP World Championship standings
1. Jorge Martín SPA Pramac Ducati 424 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo 404
3. Marc Márquez SPA Gresini Ducati 345
4. Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo 331
5. Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM 192
