OMNISPORT and Dorna Communications

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez put one hand on the world title after claiming a thrilling Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday. Championship leader and polesetter Marquez survived a breathtaking race in Victoria to finish ahead of Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales.

Marquez, seven-time world champion Rossi, Vinales, Honda's Jack Miller and Yamaha rider Johann Zarco all led in a pulsating contest in dry conditions at the scenic track but the former eased clear of the madness in the closing laps.

Honda star Marquez is now within touching distance of back-to-back MotoGP titles having moved 33 points ahead in the standings with two races remaining after Ducati rival Andrea Dovizioso was overlapped at the death to finish 13th.

Marquez snatched pole position as Dovizioso struggled during qualifying on Saturday, but it was all about local Miller early in the race.

Starting from fifth, Miller overtook Marquez after the first turn to take the lead, while it was an horrendous start from Dovizioso – who dropped down to 20th as his title chances slipped away.

Zarco's high-octane style of riding saw him clip Marquez with 25 laps remaining, allowing Vinales and Rossi into second and third respectively.

The topsy-turvy race continued after Vinales eventually moved into the lead as Miller dropped to fourth in front of a vocal Australian crowd.

Marquez, however, was working his way through the pack and he overtook Vinales, closing in on the lead with 21 laps to go.

And while Marquez was momentarily relegated to third by the red-hot Zarco – who hit the front after Rossi ran wide – the Spaniard was not to be denied his second Australia victory and first since 2015.

Moto2

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was in a class of his own in the Australian GP, taking victory by three seconds – the gap having been as high as six – and crossing the line to take KTM’s first win in Moto2™. The history making continued in second, as teammate Brad Binder took his first ever podium in the intermediate class as his rookie year gains traction following a tough, injury-hit start to the season. Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took third and protected his title hopes, making good gains in the standings on key rival Tom Lüthi, who had a tough day to come home tenth.

Off the line it was Oliveira who took the holeshot, with polesitter Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) losing out and Binder moving up into second. Morbidelli slotted into third, with Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) moving into fourth. Lüthi got a good start and shot up into sixth, moving around the outside as he attempted to get in the fight at the front.

The pack then started to shuffle, and a crash for Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) collected Pasini and sent Aegerter wide – as Oliveira started pulling away at the front. Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) suffered a big moment, and Lüthi began to struggle – as the top trio of Oliveira, Binder and Morbidelli found themselves in clear air. Oliveira had an advantage of six seconds with seven laps to go.

Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was the rider on the charge mid-race, moving up and then into podium contention before passing both Binder and Morbidelli. The South African and the Italian exchanged some tough passes and spectacular moves, before then the rain flag came out near the end of the race and Nakagami slid out ahead of the duo. Oliveira crossed the line almost three seconds clear, with Binder setting the fastest lap on the penultimate lap to take second and Morbidelli a safe third.

Jesko Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten) put in an impressive performance for fourth, ahead of another top ride from Motegi podium finisher Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing). Alex Marquez recovered from his moment early in the race to pull clear of a number of riders and take sixth, ahead of Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing), Aegerter, a solid ride from Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Lüthi.

Axel Pons (RW Racing GP), Francesco Bagnaia and teammate Stefano Manzi (Sky Racing Team VR46), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) – despite dislocating his shoulder on Saturday - and home hero Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) completed the points. For full results, click here!

The advantage is now 29 points for Morbidelli at the top, giving him his first shot at the title at Sepang International Circuit, which is up next.

Moto3

Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) is the 2017 Moto3 World Champion after winning his ninth race of the season in the Australian GP, equaling another record on the way to taking the crown in a closely fought race that was Red Flagged as the weather came in. Teammate Livio Loi followed him over the line in second as he took an impressive podium on the comeback from injury, with polesitter Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) completing the top three.

Off the line it was Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing Team) who got through Turn 1 first, before Jorge Martin fought back – and the battle began. With a long freight train at the front, the racing was hard but fair, and the slipstream down the Gardner Straight created some spectacular side-by-side action into Turn 1. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) was the first to fall out of contention from the leaders, before Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team) and Jules Danilo (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) had different incidents to lose out – leaving a group of eight riders fighting it out: Rodrigo, Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate), Loi, Mir, Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers), rookie Ayumu Sasaki (SIC Racing Team) and teammate Adam Norrodin.

Fenati – fighting to keep his title hopes alive – took his turn at the front for a number of laps, before key rival Mir began to make his move. Shuffling into Turn 1 then saw another name fall from the fight at the front, with Martin and Ramirez getting a little too close for comfort and the Platinum Bay Real Estate rider forced wide – and then going down.

Back at the front, Mir was pushing on. Making it to the front and then pushing to try and break free of the slipstream, the Majorcan was able to keep just ahead of the game for a number of laps – until some spots of rain started to appear. Suddenly, the heavens opened – and with 2/3 race distance done, the Red Flag that came out marked the end of the race.

The result was counted back to the last full lap completed by the entirety of the field – and across the line, it was the Championship leader who had been in first. Initially unaware as the grid slowed and the Majorcan looked to the screens around the track for confirmation, Mir then realized he’d gone from World Champion elect to 2017 Moto3 World Champion in taking the tenth win of his career and once more becoming the Moto3 rider with the most wins - equal with Fenati.

The good news didn’t stop there for Leopard Racing, as the new World Champion’s teammate Livio Loi crossed the line in second for his second ever rostrum finish – and from outside the top twenty on the grid, with Martin completing the podium. Gabriel Rodrigo equaled his best ever result in P4, ahead of Enea Bastianini and Romano Fenati.

Seventh was a stunning best yet from Japanese rookie Ayumu Sasaki as the former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and Asia Talent Cup winner had a stealthy ride within the front group, coming home ahead of teammate Adam Norrodin. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took ninth, with Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Aspar Mahindra Moto3) completing the top ten.

Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) had an impressive comeback from far down the field to come over the line in eleventh and only 0.031 off Dalla Porta, ahead of Jakub Kornfeil (Peugeot MC Saxoprint), Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing), Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Manuel Pagliani (CIP).