The MotoGP race at the Tissot Australian Grand Prix saw Valentino Rossi take his second win of 2014, with Jorge Lorenzo and Bradley Smith also on the podium. Marc Marquez crashed out of an incident packed race whilst leading and Dani Pedrosa was forced to retire after being clipped by Andrea Iannone.
Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) started from eighth on the grid in his 250th appearance in the premier class and was there to take advantage as Marquez crashed out of the race lead with 10 laps to go.
It is Rossi’s 108th career win and his 82nd in the top class of Grand Prix racing. The result is also the first all Yamaha podium since Le Mans 2008.
His teammate Lorenzo took second place even though his pace faded towards the end, with Cal Crutchlow crashing out ahead of him when in second on the last lap. Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Smith got his first MotoGP podium as nine riders either crashed or failed to finish, many of them frontrunners in the race.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) crossed the line fourth, with Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) as high as fifth. In his 200th Grand Prix race Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) was sixth and his teammate Scott Redding seventh.
Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive M7 Aspar), Alex de Angelis (NGM Forward Racing) and Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar) completed the top ten.
With the pressure off and the MotoGP title retained last weekend in Japan, Marquez had fired away at the front looking for a 12th win of the year and attempting to equal Mick Doohan’s record from 1997 for most premier-class GP wins in a single season. But Marquez’s race ended as he lost the front end coming out of Lukey Heights when he led by four seconds.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) was an early faller. Also early on Iannone (Pramac Racing) came into contact with the rear of Pedrosa’s bike, ending his race. The contact resulted in Pedrosa entering the pits due to bike damage.
Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) clashed with the rear of Aleix Espargaro’s bike, causing the German to fall unhurt. Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) was forced to stop off several corners later due to the damage to his bike. Broc Parks (Paul Bird Motorsport) entered the pits and retired at mid race distance.
Late on Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) lost the front at turn four while rapidly gaining on Lorenzo, attempting to claim his first MotoGP podium. With just half a lap to go Crutchlow (Ducati Team) fell from an almost guaranteed second place.
After the race Bradl was given one penalty point by Race Direction for his collision with Aleix Espargaro at Turn 4. Smith also receives a penalty point for overtaking under yellow flags in the wake of the Bradl incident. The collision between Iannone and Pedrosa will be reviewed by Race Direction in Sepang as Iannone is still undergoing treatment after his crash.
