Comprehensive Sunday MotoGP race report from Phillip Island

2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round 17 – Phillip Island – Sunday
Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix

MotoGP Race Report

A huge smoke show from Marc Marquez off the line, losing a heap of positions on the run to turn one. There were no such problems for poleman Jorge Martin; the Spaniard wasted no time escaping from Marco Bezzecchi and Pecco Bagnaia. Morbidelli fourth, Binder fifth.  It appeared as though Marc Marquez had spun his rear up on the tear-off he himself had thown away on the grid.

Martin led Bezzecchi by half-a-second as they started lap two. Bagnaia was looking for a way past Bezzecchi, who had a long lap penalty to serve at some point during this race. Binder up to fourth, Morbidelli fifth and Marc Marquez recovering to sixth.

A 1m28.300 from Martin on his first flying lap was almost matched by Bezzecchi as he strove to keep Martin in sight. Jack Miller was 14th at this early juncture after getting sent wide at the start by Alex Marquez.

Brad Binder was actually the fastest man on track during lap three, a 1m28.253. Unfortunately, the KTM man ran a little wide at Doohan Corner, allowing Marc Marquez to steal that fourth place. Bezzecchi then entered the long lap penalty, which promoted Marquez to third. Bezzecchi went down at turn four on the following lap.

Franco Morbidelli had made his way up to third place and was running strongly but couldn’t hold Marc Marquez at bay. The Gresini man moving up to to third place.

Once he had some clear air, Marc Marquez was in the 27s, a 1m27.900, quicker than both Martin and Bagnaia. The first ever 27 around Phillip Island during a race. With 20 laps to run Martin led Bagnaia by seven-tenths, with Marquez a further seven-tenths behind the defending world champion.  Jack Miller was up to 11th.

Marc Marquez was on Bagnaia’s tailpipe after improving further to a 1m27.765 on lap nine, getting past Bagnaia on the GP24 though was going to take some doing.

Jorge Martin got into Doohan Corner a little too hot which allowed Bagnaia and Marquez to get right on his tail. Nothing separating the top trio with 16 laps to go. Marc Marquez up to second.

The top three all in the 27s on lap 14. Martin leading Marquez by just under three-tenths, Bagnaia a further three-tenths behind. Morbidelli five-seconds back in fourth ahead of Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini. Jack Miller tenth.

Marc Marquez continued to shadow Jorge Martin but as the laps counted on Pecco Bagnaia looked to be struggling to stay in touch with the leading duo.

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With nine laps to run Marquez was still right with Martin while Bagnaia was now more than two-seconds behind in third place, but with plenty of clear air between him and fourth placed Enea Bastianini who was a further seven-seconds back down the road.

It really started to look as though Marc Marquez was more comfortable than Jorge Martin.  Marquez standing the bike up early and saving his rear tyre, seemingly content to watch on from behind as Martin started to make a few little mistakes, appearing to be struggling a little with front end grip. Martin though still so strong through the final sequence of fast turns. Six laps to go… Bagnaia now more than three-seconds behind. This was now clearly a two-man race for the win.

Marc Marquez into the lead!  Marquez through between turns four and five with less than four laps to go.  Martin thinks about striking back at turn ten but pulls out of it. Stays behind Marc through turns 11 and 12 and down the chute before pulling out and blowing past Marc on the entry to turn one.

Marquez forces Martin wide at turn four to take the lead back at Miller Corner with less than three laps to run. Bagnaia was seven-seconds further behind but still well clear of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who had got the better of Bastianini for that fourth place.

Martin shows Marc a wheel at Southern Loop but deemed it too much risk to push the issue. Marc then pulls out half-a-second around the back of the circuit to stretch away.  A 1m28.056 on the penultimate lap by Marquez.  Would Jorge Martin risk his championship lead and throwing away a clearly safe 20 points in order to take on Marquez over the final lap?

Marc Marquez does it. Having to fight his way forward from yet another poor start that saw him enter turn one in 13th place, Marquez takes a stunning victory. His third Sunday victory for Ducati pulls him 14-points clear of fourth-placed Bastianini in the championship. Marc’s 1m27.765 on lap nine the new Phillip Island MotoGP race lap record.

Bagnaia a distant third place, ten-seconds behind the victor. The defending champ heads to Thailand 20-points behind championship leader Jorge Martin.

Fabio Di Giannantonio fourth ahead of Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli.

Ducati 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Ducati’s 14th win in a row. The first manufacturer to do so since Honda took an incredible 22-race unbeaten run that stretched from Malaysia in 1997 through to Assen in 1998.

Brad Binder top KTM in seventh, Maverick Vinales top Aprilia in eighth and Fabio Quartararo first Yamaha home in ninth.

Raul Fernandez rounded out the top ten ahead of Jack Miller and Johann Zarco.

Only three rounds now remain in the race for the 2024 MotoGP World Championship. MotoGP reconvenes next weekend at Chang International Circuit in Thailand for round 18. Followed by another quick turnaround with Sepang on November 3 before they then wing their way back to Europe for the Valencia finale on November 17.

Phillip Island MotoGP Race Results

MotoGP Top Speeds

MotoGP Championship Standings