Marc Marquez delivered a stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix after an exhilarating showdown. The eight-time world champion secured his third win of the season, triumphing over Jorge Martin, who finished in second and extended his lead to 20 points over Francesco Bagnaia, who took third.

The race began with a strong start from Martin, who converted his pole position into a lead by the end of the first lap, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, who had a long lap penalty to serve. Marquez, however, had an unlucky start; a tear-off from his helmet caused wheelspin at the beginning, forcing him to recover from P12. But Marquez quickly made up ground, entering the podium fight with a daring overtake on Franco Morbidelli on lap 5.

As the race progressed, Marquez and Bagnaia began to close in on Martin. A pivotal moment came on lap 12 when Martin ran wide at Turn 1, allowing Bagnaia to attempt a pass. Martin retaliated and led the three-way battle, while Enea Bastianini also gained momentum, fighting for a top-five position.

The  tension grew as Marquez made his move for the lead on lap 24, overtaking Martin at Turn 4. The battle intensified, but Martin was unable to reclaim the top spot. In a thrilling finish, Marquez held his ground to win by 0.997 seconds.

Fabio Di Giannantonio secured fourth, finishing strong after a battle with Bastianini, who came in fifth. Brad Binder finished seventh, narrowly beating Maverick Viñales, who took eighth. Fabio Quartararo managed to finish ninth, while home hero Jack Miller scored points on his home soil.

With this thrilling contest concluded, the MotoGP action now heads to the Chang International Circuit for Round 18.

2024 Australian Grand Prix