The Doctor did it again!

Qualifications

Phillip Island, Australia.

It was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)  who took his 12^th pole position of the season (1’28.408). The Spaniard was followed by Ducati rider Cal Crutchlow, who surprised friend and enemy with 2^nd pace on the grid. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP)  completed the first row with 0.008s behind the Ducati. The second best Brit, Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), managed to take 4^th place and he was followed by Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), 0.19s behind the Marquez. Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) filled in the second row.

The man we missed in the Q2, Valentino Rossi, had to start from 8^th position.

The red lights went out and the gas turned open! The riders stormed to that first corner but it was Lorenzo who took the hole shot and took the lead. World Champion or not, Marquez, as we know, feels the best in the front and took without any problems position number one.

Behind him, it turned out to be a stretched fight between two Yamaha riders Lorenzo and Rossi. They lost sight of Marquez. Behind them, Crutchlow finally managed to lose the brothers Espargaro, Smith and Bradl and headed to the front. There was a crash from Iannone by touching Pedrosa and he damaged the Honda so Pedrosa had no choice but to leave the track.

Marquez crashed while there were still 10 laps to go.

In the meantime, Crutchlow had a four seconds gap behind him and five seconds between him and the still fighting Yamaha’s but it was Valentino Rossi who won the team battle and with Lorenzo breath in his neck, he looked for Marquez.

But Marquez crashed in the straight line of the turn and slided with his belly over the grid. The bike was incapable to move on so Marquez felt out of the race. 

Crutchlow crashed in the last lap,
Lorenzo had mechanical problems.
Both riders did very well!

Rossi had now first position and there was a mechanical problem for Lorenzo, who lost seconds on his rival and team mate. And another crash! Bradl crashed while he tried to overtake Aleix Espargaro and also he damaged the bike of his rival. Espargaro out as well. Crutchlow had over took Lorenzo but he crashed in the final lap so Lorenzo was back in second position! 

Rossi never saw any of that because he won the Grand Prix at Australia and his second victory of the season! He has now the second place in the World Championship! Second man: Jorge Lorenzo. Bradley Smith, who drove a good race, came across the line as third best rider.

Lorenzo admitted that this was his luckiest second place ever (because of his mechanical problems and the many crashes). Smith is very happy with his 3^rd place and thanked his team for always believing in him.

And again we could hear the Italian anthem! The Doctor did it again!

Riders who left the race:

-          Karel Abraham (crashed first lap)

-          Andrea Iannone (crashed while overtaking)

-          Dani Pedrosa (damaged bike by Iannone)

-          Marc Marquez (crashed while driving 1^st place)

-          Parkel

-          Aleix Espargaro (damaged bike by Bradl)

-          Stefan Bradl (same like Iannone)

-          Cal Crutchlow (crashed final lap)

World Championship top five

-          Marc Marquez (World Champion)    312p

-          Valentino Rossi                                255p

-          Jorge Lorenzo                                  247p

-          Dani Pedrosa                                   230p

-      Andrea Dovizioso                            166p