Australia MotoGP: Marquez wins after last-lap Vinales crash
Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez was victorious in the Australian Grand Prix as long-time race leader Maverick Vinales crashed out on the last lap.
Both riders started from the front row but had slow getaways, meaning it was Valentino Rossi in the lead on his 400th GP start with Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Iannone forming an unusual top three behind the Yamaha rider.
Fabio Quartararo's attempts to score a maiden MotoGP victory ended after just two corners when he went wide at Southern Loop and was at the exact wrong spot to be hit by the high-siding Danilo Petrucci behind him.
Rossi's lead lasted for three laps before Crutchlow took over, and the Yamaha man lost several positions in quick succession, dropping as low as seventh.
Iannone put his Aprilia in the lead with a Turn 10 move, but Crutchlow slipstreamed past him on the main straight.
The Briton cemented his lead for the next few laps while Iannone duelled with Marquez before Vinales, recovering from a slow start, overtook both in quick succession, and also passed Crutchlow at Turn 4 on lap 10.
To stay with Vinales, Marquez barged past Crutchlow at Lukey Heights, and top two quickly pulled away from the rest, the duo in a class of their own.
Marquez shadowed Vinales for the remaining 17 laps of the race, the gap between the duo less than a tenth in the last seven times they crossed the line, but the Honda rider waited until the last lap to make his move.
He slipstreamed past Vinales on the main straight and held off Vinales at Turn 4, where the Yamaha man had passed Crutchlow.
Vinales lined up a move for Turn 10, where his earlier move on Marquez took place, but he crashed as he exited Lukey Heights and Marquez took the chequered flag on his own.
He scored his 11th win of the season and his fifth in a row, surpassing 500cc legend Mick Doohan to become Honda's most successful premier-class rider in terms of wins.
Crutchlow inherited second to form a Honda 1-2, his best result of 2019, 11.4s behind Marquez.
Vinales's crash gifted Jack Miller a podium finish on home soil as he beat his Pramac teammate Francesco Bagnaia by half a tenth.
Bagnaia, like fellow rookie Joan Mir behind him, celebrated the best result of his rookie season.
Iannone faded after his early-race heroics but still secured sixth, beating Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati by just 0.014s, as Rossi ended up eighth.
Alex Rins was a disappointing ninth despite running fourth at one point while the top 10 was completed by the second Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro.
Johann Zarco finished 13th on his debut with LCR Honda while Jorge Lorenzo finished dead last in 16th, over a minute behind Marquez.
Tito Rabat and Mika Kallio both failed to finish the race.
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Marc Marquez | Honda | 27 | - |
| 2 |  Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 27 | 11.413 |
| 3 |  Jack Miller | Ducati | 27 | 14.499 |
| 4 |  Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 27 | 14.554 |
| 5 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 27 | 14.817 |
| 6 | Andrea Iannone | Aprilia | 27 | 15.280 |
| 7 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 27 | 15.294 |
| 8 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 27 | 15.841 |
| 9 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 27 | 16.032 |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 27 | 16.590 |
| 11 | Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha | 27 | 24.145 |
| 12 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 27 | 26.654 |
| 13 |  Johann Zarco | Honda | 27 | 26.758 |
| 14 |  Karel Abraham | Ducati | 27 | 44.912 |
| 15 |  Hafizh Syahrin | KTM | 27 | 44.968 |
| 16 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda | 27 | 01'06.045 |
| Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | 26 | 1 lap | |
 Mika Kallio | KTM | 24 | 3 laps | |
| Tito Rabat | Ducati | 3 | 24 laps | |
| Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 0 | 27 laps | |
| Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | 0 | 27 laps | |
| View full results | ||||
Previous article
Australian GP - the race as it happened
Next article
Vinales would "rather end up on the ground than second"
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Australian GP |
| Sub-event | Race |
| Drivers | Marc Marquez , Maverick Viñales |
| Author | David Gruz |
MotoGP 2021 kicks off in Qatar
Mandalika Circuit update
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
Why Lorenzo needs to ditch social media and enjoy retirement
OPINION: Jorge Lorenzo's status as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of all time is hard to dispute. But his constant social media spats with fellow riders and insistence on listing his achievements to his detractors are running the risk of tarnishing a legacy he worked hard to create.
