MotoGP: Rins outduels Marquez to win on Phillip Island

Miller gets taken out and Quartararo makes an even bigger mistake

For Miller, however, the tide was starting to turn as ‘Thriller’ lost fourth to Espargaro and fifth to Marco Bezzecchi at the start of Lap 9. He was out of the race completely just two turns later at the corner which now bears his name when Alex Marquez got it all crossed up under brakes and clattered into the factory Ducati from two bikes back – a nasty-looking collision but thankfully one which both were able to walk away from.

On the other factory Ducati, Bagnaia made an unsuccessful attempt to re-pass Rins at Doohan Corner on Lap 10, by which time they had caught Martin and Marc Marquez. Rins, however, was able to put a move on MM93 for second place at Doohan Corner a lap later, as Bezzecchi kept himself in the hunt with a pass on Espargaro for fifth.

Quartararo had not long got himself back into the points-paying positions when disaster struck, the Frenchman tucking the front of his YZR-M1 at Southern Loop and crashing out of the contest on Lap 11. Up front, the lead changed for the first time when Rins went underneath Martin at Stoner Corner (Turn 3) on Lap 14, before Bagnaia vaulted from fourth to second with a double pass just down the road at Miller Corner, with Martin all the way back to fifth once Bezzecchi went down his inside at MG – after starting that lap in P1!

Marquez passed Rins for second at Southern Loop on the penultimate lap but the Suzuki rider hit back straight away at Stoner Corner, and that was how they commenced Lap 27 of 27. Rins went a corner earlier this time with a move on Bagnaia at Southern Loop and Marquez followed, with those three covered by just 0.224 seconds when they took the checkered flag. Bezzecchi got home fourth and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who had started only 15th, took fifth after a final-lap pass of Marini at Lukey Heights (Turn 9).

Marini was therefore sixth, ahead of Martin and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), while Aleix Espargaro faded to ninth and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the top 10. The rest of the top 15 was Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™), Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™), and Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) – meaning a Championship point for the latter in his first premier class race on home soil. It was a double DNF for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ team after Franco Morbidelli crashed out late in the piece, making for four retirements in total.

“It was a great race today; I really enjoyed the battle a lot and the feeling of returning to the podium is fantastic,” said Marquez.

“It has been a long journey [in his recovery from many surgeries on his arm] and we have reached the next stage.

“The soft rear was certainly the correct option for us in the race, I felt quite good, and I was able to fight until the end. At the start I was managing the situation a little bit, but I really enjoyed the race, I tried to win!

“Alex Rins did really well in the last few laps. I left everything out on track today and I really enjoyed all the overtakes, especially at Turn 2 because the bike was working really well there. We are coming better, but there is still work to do.”

Speaking about his mistakes, Quartararo said they were emblematic of how hard he had to ride to overcome his bike’s power and grip shortcomings.

“I’m trying to do my best. I’m overriding a little bit too much, and the risk of having a mistake is really high. That’s what happened today,” he said. “But for me, this is not the only problem

“For me the problem is we ride in a different way to the others. When I’m alone you can see my pace is always super strong. But then when we’re in the race, it’s always difficult.

“When you need to save the tires, and you miss grip and acceleration it’s not the best.”

The pressure’s off. He’s lost the title lead for the first time since acquiring it in round 5, and he knows his bike is ultimately holding him back.

“Now we need to turn the page,” he said. “We only have one job, and it’s try to win. It’s going to be the toughest job of my career, but I’m ready to fight for it.”

Rins admitted to breaking down upon hearing the news that his team was going to withdraw at the end of this season, and the victory was clearly emotionally significant for him.

“It was not easy for us as a team to know that next year in the team you are is not continuing anymore in the championship,” he said. “So we had not so good races, also I was involved in some crashes with another rider, and also I broke my hand.

“The key was to not give up. We never put down the towel. We deserve this victory.

“This one is for all the team — for the ones that get some contracts [at other teams] for next year and the ones that didn’t.

“This one is for them.”

No-one could deny the hardworking Suzuki team this swan song.