(Reuters) – Pramac Racing’s Johann Zarco emerged as the winner of the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, securing his first MotoGP victory in nearly seven years in the premier class. Meanwhile, his teammate and championship contender Jorge Martin lost the lead on the final lap.
Martin had claimed pole position by breaking the lap record, displaying unmatched speed on the grid. However, he encountered grip issues during the final laps, ultimately missing out on a podium finish as Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia stormed his way to second place.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, who does not have a seat secured for next year with Gresini Racing, finished third. Martin settled for fifth place behind Brad Binder, widening the gap to 27 points behind Bagnaia in the riders championship.
“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s hard to believe,” Zarco expressed in a post-race interview, celebrating with a back-flip off a wall in front of the fans. “After so many races, I finally achieved victory. I need to savor this moment. I want to cry, but not right now.”
Due to a poor weather forecast for Sunday at Phillip Island, MotoGP organizers decided to hold the race on Saturday, marking the first time the event had been rescheduled since the 2015 Dutch Grand Prix.
In the race, Martin had an impeccable start, quickly leaving the rest of the field in his wake. While the other riders fought for positions on the first lap, he extended his lead over Binder to over two seconds. Bagnaia, on the other hand, dropped to fourth place.
Di Giannantonio had a remarkable start as well, moving up from sixth to third position. He applied pressure on Binder, who lacked the pace to catch up to the runaway leader.
The Italian rider, who had yet to step onto the podium this season, eventually surpassed Binder and rose to second place with nine laps remaining. However, he was caught in the final laps as Binder and Zarco made their move.
Martin had been comfortably leading the race, but as the chasing pack closed in with three laps to go, he struggled to find grip on his tires. Zarco seized the opportunity to overtake his teammate, with Bagnaia following suit, leaving Martin visibly frustrated.
“I had a solid start and had to fight initially, but then I was quite fast,” Zarco commented. “Martin managed to build a significant lead. I conserved my tires and then attempted to attack. I was surprised to see Martin dropping down, so I knew something was possible.”
As they crossed the finish line, Di Giannantonio and Binder also surpassed Martin, leaving the Spaniard pondering what could have been, recalling his crash while leading the Indonesia Grand Prix the previous weekend.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates and William Mallard)
