Image: Russell Colvin.

Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales has ended Yamaha’s 25-race victory dry-spell after storming to a spectacular win at the 2018 Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was imperious in the second half of the race to eventually take his first win since Le Mans last year by 1.5 seconds over second-placed Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso.

It was a strong performance from Australia’s Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), leading the opening lap and eventually scoring seventh following a race-long battle toward the front of the pack. He was also credited first of the Independents at home.

Second of the Aussies in the field, former Australian Superbike champion Mike Jones (Angel Nieto Team), displayed maturity in 18th position, bringing the GP16 home following a late call-up to deputise in his home round.

As the lights went out it was Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) who got a lightning launch from eighth to head around the outside and lead into turn one, but the Italian then ran off at turn two to end his charge. However Miller took advantage of his teammate’s misfortunes to take the lead at turn four.

Pole man Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) slotted in behind Miller with Iannone third, but heading into turn one on lap two it was all change as Marquez took over the reins of the freight train, with Dovi slotting into second, Iannone was third and Miller was back to fourth.

Close then became too close for Marquez and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) as the duo headed into the braking zone at turn one on lap six. Zarco’s front tyre came into contact with Marquez’ rear, with the Frenchman crashing out in a hugely scary incident.

Zarco’s bike severely damaged the back of Marquez’s Honda and subsequently the 2018 champion retired from the race. Incredibly, Zarco walked away from the incident at over 250km/h uninjured.

This left Dovi leading from Miller and Iannone, but then Vinales began to make his move. Starting second, the Spaniard didn’t get a good start and was as low as 10th at one stage, but on lap eight he made what would turn out to be his race-winning move at turn four.

Maverick then took off in true Top Gun style, within a lap he had created a 0.8s lead. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was leading the chase before Iannone then took the baton, but the Suzuki man ran wide and dropped to the back of the quartet.

Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team) was taking no prisoners on his one-off Ducati factory ride, with he and teammate Dovi also taking it in turns to try and reel in Vinales. But no matter who it was, no one could match the Spaniard’s superior pace – 1.9s the gap on lap 13, which grew to four seconds by lap 21.

The battle for first was seemingly won but the fight for P2 raged on between Rossi, the two red Desmosedicis and Iannone, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also joining the fray the latter stages. The gap to Vinales suddenly dropped below three seconds and then with two laps to go, it was 1.8 seconds.

Vinales responded after being a second a lap slower to bring his YZR-M1 home in first, 1.543s clear of Iannone, the latter beating Dovizioso in a battle for second. A mistake with just over a lap to go on the exit of turn 10 ended Bautista’s hopes of a podium, a terrific fourth nonetheless for the Spaniard.

Rins got the better of Rossi on the final lap to claim a fourth-consecutive top five finish, ‘The Doctor’ settling for P6. Miller would bring his Ducati home in a solid seventh, the Australian just 6.7s from the win, with Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) earning his best result of the season in eighth as top rookie.

Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) crashed out of a top 10 place on lap 19. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was able to beat Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith by a whisker, only 0.036s separating the duo at the line in ninth and 10th.

P11 was Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team), the Czech rider’s best result of the season, with Petrucci recovering to 12th at the flag. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the points.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) crashed out of his final Australian grand prix appearance but was unscathed, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) retiring out of contention.

Image: Russell Colvin.

In Moto2, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed his third win of the season as he took the chequered flag by 0.036s from second place Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), with Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the podium.

Vierge snatched a maiden podium away from Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP40) at the line by 0.008s – a brilliant battle on the Island in the intermediate class that saw neither Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) or Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) challenge at the front.

There was drama before the race had even begun as P2 on the grid Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) encountered a problem with his bike and although he eventually got it going, the German had to line up on the back of the grid.

As the lights went out it was pole man Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) who launched well to grab the holeshot, but Vierge soon cut his way through to the lead from P3 on the grid, with Binder, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) slotting in behind.

Pasini’s race wouldn’t last long though, a crash at turn four on lap two for the Italian ended his hopes of a second podium of the year. Meanwhile, Bagnaia had initially made significant progress from 16th on the grid to get as high as sixth, but the championship leader soon dropped back to outside the top 10 along with title rival Oliveira.

Back at the front, a lead group of eight formed. Lecuona was looking strong but the young Spaniard then crashed out and then, looking good for a home round rostrum challenge, Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) lost the front at turn 10 on lap 13 – heartache for the Australian.

The lead was chopping and changing lap by lap, particularly between Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) and Vierge. With five to go, it was a group of six at the front, all of which looked menacing. However, Baldassarri’s race would end prematurely at turn 10.

And so, heading into the last lap, there were five riders in contention. Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) made a sweeping move to go from fifth to third at turn one as Binder led the way from Mir. Turn four then saw Marini run wide and out of podium contention, with Fernandez and Vierge also getting out of sorts on the exit.

A run to the line between Binder and Mir then followed, but the South African had just enough edge out the Spaniard as the 2016 and 2017 Moto3 champions going head-to-head. Vierge won the race to the line with Fernandez, with Marini taking fifth.

Schrötter produced a phenomenal comeback ride to end the Australian GP in ninth, with the two title protagonists Oliveira in 11th and Bagnaia in P12, while Bryan Staring (Tech3 Racing) was 21st on debut. The championship moves onto Malaysia with Bagnaia holding a 36-point advantage.

Image: Russell Colvin.

In an unbelievable Moto3 race it was Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team) who emerged as the victor to beat Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and stand-in Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Celestino Vietti, but drama hit title contender Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) as he was taken on on lap 11.

This left championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) with a magnificent chance to take full advantage and sure enough, the Spaniard was at the front but, yet again, despite threatening to make a break, he couldn’t steer clear of the Island’s slip-stream and by the last lap there was still 15 riders in with a chance of winning.

A breathtaking race ended with Arenas holding onto the lead coming out of the final corner, with ‘Diggia’, Vietti, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Martin completing the top five. There was a huge crash for Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) at Stoner Corner, which left teammate Jauma Masia with nowhere to go – both riders okay.

An outrageous start to proceedings sees the Moto3 title race take another unexpected turn as Martin now leads Bezzecchi by 12 points, with Diggia’s runner-up getting him right back in the title mix as now 20 points split the top three.

Detailed results