Blow by blow recap from MotoGP Sprint Race at Phillip Island – Results – Points

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

Phillip Island MotoGP Sprint Race Report

Cool conditions greeted the MotoGP riders as they formed up on the grid at Phillip Island on Saturday afternoon. The precipitation was staying away, but an ambient temperature of just under 15-degrees and blustery winds had riders and their crews very concerned in regard to front tyre temperature. And, of course, that meant running a gambit with tyre pressures under the risk of a significant tyre penalty if found under pressure after the race… The track temperature was just over 20-degrees.

For the first time in quite a while, it was not an all-Ducati front row. Maverick Vinales putting the Aprilia on the front row. On pole was Jorge Martin flanked by Marc Marquez. That trio all started on a hard front and soft rear.

Marco Bezzecchi headed the second row and had defending champion Pecco Bagnaia beside him. Raul Fernandez rounding out that second row.

Franco Morbidelli fronted the third row alongside Alex Marquez and Alex Rins.

Home hero Jack Miller started from 16th on the grid behind Pedro Acosta and Johann Zarco.

When the lights went out it was Jorge Martin with the holeshot while Marc Marquez ran very wide into turn one while avoiding Jorge Martin, emerging from Southern Loop down in eighth.

Marco Bezzecchi up to second place ahead of Pecco Bagnaia and Brad Binder.  Jack Miller inside the top ten by turn four.

Martin had pulled the pin from the off, half-a-second ahead of Bezzechi by the end of lap one. Bagnaia in third, Binder fourth, Bastianini fifth and Marc Marquez up to sixth.

Jorge Martin dropped in a 1m28.392 on his first flying lap to stretch his lead over Bezzecchi to eight-tenths. Marc Marquez squeezed past Enea Bastianini to moive up to fifth place after they both pushed Binder back to sixth place.

Pecco Bagnaia was trying hard to get the better of Bezzecchi but the Pertamina VR46 rider managed to hold his good friend out until they started lap four, Bagnaia sweeping past to take that second place. Martin was just over a second further up the road…

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Marc Marquez was closing in on Bezzecchi to challenge for a podium result, Bastianini and Binder also not far behind.

Martin quicker again, 1m28.218, but Bagnaia almost matched him with a 1m28.236. The gap between the two championship contenders 1.097 seconds..

Marc Marquez then put in the first 27 of the race, a 1m27.949. He was on the outside of Bezzecchi at Turn Four but Bezzecchi defended well. Bastianini loomed large behind that pair and eager to pounce should either of them make the slightest mistake.

Jorge Martin then put in a 1m27.881 to seemingly break Bagnaia, the gap 1.677 seconds with eight laps to run.  Johann Zarco went down at turn nine at this juncture.  Alex Marquez down at turn four.

Marc Marquez finally got the better of Bezzecchi and was sniffing the exhaust of Bagnaia’s GP24 in no time….  Martin now led by two-seconds.

Marquez right on the tail of Bagnaia at turn four with seven laps to run, all over the back of the defending champion. That pair now had some breathing space over fourth placed Bastianini. Bezzecchi fifth, Vinales sixth, Di Giannantonio seventh, Binder eight, Morbidelli ninth and Jack Miller rounding out the top ten as they passed half-race distance.

Despite enjoying a hefty lead Jorge Martin dropped the hammer once again on lap seven, a 1m27.831 to stretch further away.

Marc Marquez got Bagnaia at turn four next time around. Basitanini and Bezzecchi had closed right back up on them.  Bastianini got Bagnaia at turn ten to move up to third place.

Jack Miller then went down and out of the race, wallking disconsolately away from his stricken RC16 after being struck so hard by a bird that it had gone through his front fairing. The Australian had copped a seagull early on the opening lap which affected his braking potential. Nevertheless he battled on but went down at Turn Ten when passing team-mate Brad Binder.

Pedro Acosta joined him in the gravel a couple of laps later. Brad Binder then also joined the gravel party.  Acosta was ruled unfit on Sunday morning due to a left shoulder injury and would take no more part in the Australian GP.

Martin was still in the 27s and had a lead of 3.3-seconds with four laps to run.  Bastianini had his head down trying to get in touch with Marc Marquez but the Gresini rider looked to have his measure.

Marc Marquez set a new personal best of 1m27.907 on lap ten but was still 2.8-seconds behind Martin. That pace though was good enough to leave Bastianini in his wake by more than two-seconds.

Marco Bezzecchi and Maverick Vinales were tussling over fifth place. Bezzecchi got sucked in under brakes and hit the rear of Maverick’s Aprilia in what was a sickening incident as they started lap 12. Vinales looked to be okay but Bezzecchi was stretchered away, presumably with some lower leg injuries but clearly conscious and sitting up.  He was shortly seen returning to the pits on the back of a scooter so obviously not too worse for wear. Nonetheless, Bezzecchi headed to Melbourne for some further precuationary scans. The following morning stewards handed Bezzecchi a long-lap penalty to be served at the next GP he contests.

Completely unaware of all the carnage that unfolded behind him Jorge Martin cruised home to victory. Total domination. Despite backing off on the final lap at the end of the 13-lap contest his margin over victory still more than 1.5-seconds on Marc Marquez.

Enea Bastianini rounded out the podium a further 2.8-seconds behind, but 2.5-seconds clear of team-mate Pecco Bagnaia.

Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line in fifth but was under investigation for tyre pressure. He was later found guilty and demoted behind Franco Morbidelli and Raul Fernandez to seventh.

Only 15 riders finished the race.

Fastest lap of the race was a 1m27.831 on lap seven by Martin. Almost matching his pole position time.

With that dominant victory Jorge Martin extended his championship lead over Pecco Bagnaia to 16-points. Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini are both a further 68-points behind.

Six Ducati riders finished the race and they filled the top six positions in the results.

Pecco Bagnaia quickest through the speed trap in the Sprint at 352.9 km/h.  Takaaki Nakagami the slowest at 334.4 km/h.

MotoGP Phillip Island Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points