• 14 hours ago
MotoGP Phillip Island 2024
Transcript
00:00victory yesterday. He's got the momentum that this cycle race is far from over.
00:05Marc Marquez there, he'll be gunning for redemption after he started second and had to mount a fierce comeback to get to the podium.
00:11What about Peco Bagnaia as well? Despite finishing fourth yesterday, he's been a master of bouncing back on Sundays and with 25 points on offer today.
00:21A good warm-up under his belt. The reigning champ knows he can't afford another misstep if he wants to keep his crown in sight.
00:28The wind, the rain are distant memories now, but the lack of dry time make this one unpredictable. Can Peco Bagnaia close the gap?
00:35Will Marquez disrupt the order? Will Bastinini come on stronger? Will Martin March even closer to his first MotoGP title?
00:44Neil Hodgson, lots of questions to be answered in the next 27 laps.
00:48Yeah, you're not wrong and I'll tell you what, the conditions are as good as we've had all weekend.
00:52Yes, there's a bit of a breeze, but it's nowhere near as gusty as it's been at points over the weekend. Track temperature's perfect. I mean, look at that.
01:01The only concern I would say is the air temperature's quite cool still. 15, if the clouds were to come over, we've seen it, haven't we, here in the past?
01:08About cold tyre getting onto the front of these tyres and when they're all trying to manage things a little bit, it's just something to keep in the back of our minds.
01:16It's all right. 2014, I think Carl Crutchfield's still trying to forget that. And that was funny, not funny the fact that he crashed, but the temperature changed so quickly.
01:26Anything can happen here in Filipano, but I have to say, as I've walked back in towards the commentary box, it feels more stable. I don't think we're going to get anything like that.
01:34Let's hope so. There was Jack Miller. I'll tell you what, his pace isn't that bad. He was a bit faster in the warm-up. We've had 90,000 fans over the weekend, 36,000 on race day.
01:43It's about right for Filipano. You can't get too many more in this circuit. It's tight, it's compact, but, Neil, it always provides great racing. Please say we're going to get one today.
01:53Well, we don't need Martin to get the whole shot and start to stretch it out, because that'll stretch the field. Let's hope Jorge Martin gets a mediocre start. At least he's going to work for it.
02:07Well, it's also Mark Marquez, who we know has got the pace, hasn't he? Peco Bagnaia, has he been able to turn it around?
02:13I'm going to say yes.
02:14Oh, and Enea Bastinini could well get in the mix too. It's fruity, it's tasty, and it's all on the line as the riders have 27 laps around one of the most stunning and treacherous circuits in the world.
02:28Time to buckle up. We've got all the ingredients for a classic here as we get ready to go racing. Mark Marquez, a little look down at his bike from second on the grid. It's Martin on pole. Will he extend the lead, or will he be closed in today?
02:41Lights out, and we are underway for a start for Mark Marquez, just like yesterday. Hasn't got the start that he needed. He's a sitting duck, rolling backwards at the start there.
02:52And around the outside comes Frankie Borminelli. It's Marek Wieniawski who's dropped back also. Who's that running deep? Is that Mark Hernandez?
03:00It's one of the Marks. I don't know if it's Alex Marquez who's gone off the track, or if it was Mark Marquez. We saw during some practice starts Mark Marquez lighting it up. It's happened again from the front row of the grid.
03:10But he's recovering already. He's on the inside of an airbag. He's aggressively into Stoner Corner. So at the front, Jorge Martinez-Berseke for company. Bagnai has got the start he would have wanted, and he's attacking Berseke already.
03:22He's going to go through off into second place. Can he put a move in on Martin? Berseke fights back. You wouldn't think they were best pals, would you?
03:29Well, it's tight through there as well. Bagnai's trying to cut back, but there's no room for him through there. It's all one line, as it is here, through the hay shed. I still can't believe Mark Marquez spun it up on the line, and he's still somehow in sixth place.
03:40I don't know how that happened at all. Brad Binder got up to fifth from 11th on the grid, but Martin's checking out. It's so important. Bagnai makes a move very quickly in this race.
03:48Michelin have said the tyres will last, but you need to manage them. But Bagnai almost needs to just take the risk and get closer to Martin, because there's every chance already that Martin could check out as they go through Turn 11 for the first time.
04:01We ride on board with the world champion.
04:03Yes, and it's all going to be about the exit now. Sit back, sit back, wait, don't go too early, because you've got to get a run out of the corner. He's got that perfect.
04:10Oh, no, he went too early. Look, now we can see, if you go too early, you've took off the front a little bit. You don't get the slipstream, no chance to pass.
04:17Here we go, down towards Turn 1. Can he go late on the brakes? We know how he is. Alex Marquez has had a long lap penalty come up.
04:24Marco Fiszecki has got a long lap penalty come up. Marquez for the incident with Juan Mir.
04:28And last time out, back in Japan, Marco Fiszecki for the incident with Maverick Vinales yesterday.
04:35So he will clear out of the way for Bagnai, but all the while, Jorge Martin's got half a second in front of Fez. He's got three quarters of a second in front of Pekka.
04:44Is he going to do it on this first lap? Is he going to do it? Is it? No, he's not.
04:48And meanwhile, Morbidelli attacks Pekka Bagnai. You can tell there are no Ducati team owners here to help out.
04:55You think they might want to help out their mate a little bit, but none of that. They want their own glory as Brad Finder takes advantage of Morbidelli's moves. He's up to fourth.
05:03Yeah, but everyone can see Martin checking out. So you have him to attack. If Bagnai doesn't quite have the pace, you can't wait.
05:10You've got to attack straight away because this man, he just clicks into qualifying mode. He forgets about the race, but he does. He works on himself, his lines.
05:18Watch Mark Marcus in the middle of the shot.
05:21Ah, spins it up, has to shut the goal, and then you are literally a sitting duck. Your worst nightmare. That's the third time that's happened this weekend for him.
05:29I don't know why it happens to him.
05:31Yeah, something came up the bottom of it. I know there was smoke and all that, but there was something else.
05:36I don't know. That was just, he had to roll so far out of it. He couldn't even keep it rolling.
05:41How has he ended up sixth at the end of the first lap?
05:44Incredible.
05:46Well, there Martin leads by three tenths from Mark Iwazeki. He has recovered now.
05:50Pekka Bagnai is third and fourth in front. Finder had a really good fist of it last year, didn't he?
05:56When he was battling for second place for much of the race and then was in the scrap when Joe Anzalco took to the front.
06:02So Finder is good around here, and with the lack of dry track time, maybe just an inkling, a chance for him to get stuck in.
06:12Frankie Morinelli is in fifth, then Mark is sixth.
06:15Nene Bastidini didn't get the start of yesterday. He's in seventh.
06:18Vinales eighth, Di Gianantonio ninth, Quartararo in tenth.
06:22I was looking for Miller. I thought he might have made a start, but unfortunately, he's only made one position. He's into fourth.
06:29Yeah, it's like a bit of a breakaway group, the top eight, isn't it? Fabio Di Gianantonio in ninth.
06:33He's trying to bridge that gap, but it's going to be difficult.
06:36And then the rest from tenth down, they're sort of out of it, aren't they?
06:39You've got Quartararo, Zarco, Ralf Fernandes, Ritz, and unfortunately, Miller's stuck behind all them.
06:48Down into MG Corner. It has already been a key part of the junior classes of Moto2 and Moto3.
06:57Will it be so today? Can Marco Rizeki do anything?
07:01Can he get close enough to Jorge Martin to make a move?
07:03He's going to have to take his long lap penalty soon.
07:06I think he's about to have his last chance to do so.
07:09He's given the board on the first lap.
07:12Maybe he's got one more go after this.
07:15Brad Binder is the fastest rider on circuit currently in fourth place.
07:19Good to see, isn't it?
07:20Yeah, it really is.
07:21It's so funny though, you think of racers around here.
07:24Binder made a bit of a mistake there.
07:26Yeah, his foot came off. He went wide at turn one.
07:28And it's so easy to do that.
07:29Martin Martins is going to try and squeeze through, but Binder won't be able to see the others here.
07:33Thankfully, Martin backed out of that.
07:34Otherwise, I think there would have been contact and Binder would have probably gone down.
07:38Does Bez come in now and take his long lap penalty?
07:41Yeah, the angle says that he's going to.
07:43It's tricky though. It's dirty, this part of the track.
07:46We've had so much rain.
07:47There's not a lot of grip on there, but he's done that really well.
07:50He had it a few times in warm-up this morning, didn't he?
07:53Gave it a good look.
07:54And so Bezeki comes through.
07:56And he's now just behind Bastinini in seventh.
08:00That moves, of course, Morminelli up to third.
08:02Marquez up to fourth. Binder up to fifth.
08:04But crucially, Pekka Bagneier into the position to chase down Martin.
08:10We'll keep a close eye on the gap.
08:12He stands at three quarters of a second.
08:14Yeah, that's going to be the interesting point is in this next lap,
08:17what can Bagneier do with that clear track in front of him?
08:21He can see his main rival.
08:22How bad do you want it?
08:24You have to seize these moments.
08:26You have to take opportunities.
08:27And there are points you've got to ride a little bit over your limit.
08:30So there's one thing I don't think he's going to set up for second place
08:34because then that gap's going to get up to over 20 points.
08:37And we're starting to get to the point there where literally the elastic band has snapped.
08:44Yeah, he did say before the weekend, didn't he, Marquez, Pekka Bagneier,
08:49that he thought that perhaps second could be the best he hoped for,
08:52knowing how strong that Jorge Martin is here.
08:56But we just want to see the gloves come off, don't we?
08:59We haven't seen them in hand-to-hand combat yet, Martin and Bagneier.
09:05It's got to come before the end of the season.
09:07It's got to come when the desperation states start to kick in.
09:10And as you say, when the points gap is about, well, it would be 21 if things stayed the same.
09:15With three rounds still to go, you get into the stage where, you know,
09:19Jorge Martin can start thinking about finishing second in races.
09:21He says Marco Bizecchi has gone down at the Miller hairpin.
09:25That sums up a really, really miserable weekend for him.
09:29But he will look back at this weekend in years to come,
09:33and it'll be the weekend that he actually got away with it,
09:36crashing like he did in Turn 1,
09:38and somehow not managing to end up injured.
09:40Well, he's a lucky lad.
09:45Easy to do, though.
09:46Off camber, first gear hairpin.
09:48It's nasty.
09:49You don't even feel like you're going fast.
09:51And all of a sudden, you're down.
09:52And it was at that critical point where we were still trail braking overload at the front.
09:57How many times have we seen it as well over the years?
09:59Because the right-hand side of the tyre doesn't get used that much,
10:02if there is that chill breeze coming across.
10:04Air temperature 15 degrees Celsius.
10:06You know, it's not warm out there if the sun is behind the clouds.
10:10As Marquez now looks...
10:12Goes tight, doesn't he?
10:14Alongside Frankie Borminelli, who judges it well to bring it down at Turn 1.
10:18Marquez.
10:19He has got it taped, hasn't he, through Turn 12 all weekend.
10:23He's just set another fastest lap of the race.
10:26Not able to outbrake Faniaer, but Marquez is coming.
10:30And the fact is, he has closed 8 tenths over the last lap on Jorge Martín.
10:38Yes, the big question is, where can he get past Faniaer?
10:41Because it's very difficult to pass around here.
10:44Narrow racetrack.
10:45Faniaer is so deep on the brakes.
10:48You sort of end up in a situation where you're half trying to wait for a mistake.
10:51We saw the exit speed out of the last corner for Marquez.
10:54The problem is the 24 Ducati.
10:56And then once he stands up and starts going through the gearbox,
10:59there's nothing Mark Marquez on the year-old bike could do.
11:03Yes, it's a case...
11:05It's like a puzzle now, isn't it, for Mark to try and work out.
11:08It's a puzzle he loves.
11:09Yes, this is what he lives for.
11:12He lives for the fight.
11:13He loves to battle.
11:15Mark Marquez, don't get me wrong, I'm going to say he hates being out front winning alone.
11:19No, everyone enjoys that.
11:21But he loves a battle more.
11:24Down towards MG.
11:26Through these left-handers.
11:28Look how much quicker he is.
11:30Just look at the gap there from Faniaer.
11:33And in the second part, look how much he's turning.
11:35We saw this, didn't we, yesterday?
11:37We saw it in Japan.
11:38He's going to try and get the run again.
11:39This is what we say about getting the run, getting the momentum, building through the corner.
11:42You don't want to be too close.
11:43That's good, that's better.
11:45He's got the momentum, he's got the speed.
11:47But look now, the factory Ducati.
11:49Actually, this time we're sort of neck and neck.
11:51But you get to the braking zone, and we saw what happened yesterday.
11:54It's so risky to try and make a pass.
11:57You're in the wake.
11:58You don't want to make a massive mistake and run off the track and lose a load of time.
12:03He's got to work this one out.
12:05A little bit of a Rubik's Cube in front of him again.
12:07He's just turning that thing under.
12:09How will that be working in terms of tyres?
12:12Do you know what?
12:13Well, there's one that could be using more rear tyre.
12:15Do you know what?
12:16I'm seeing it.
12:17The way that Ducati's set, Marc Marquez's,
12:19he's got the bike turning better.
12:21He's probably got it slightly softer on the front.
12:23The issue is, on the only two heavy braking zones,
12:26he's got nothing to match Vanyaya.
12:29Vanyaya just did a personal best.
12:31It's like Marquez is giving him a hurry-up.
12:33He's bringing this race back to Martine.
12:35Martine would prefer more than a 0.6 gap in the front of this race.
12:40So Vanyaya is being chivvied along a little bit here by Marc Marquez.
12:44And it could be a battle of three at the front.
12:47Tell you what, I am noticing, though,
12:48the way Martine at the front, he is metronomic.
12:51He's just doing the same lap time.
12:53That's the pace he's set.
12:55And he's forcing the riders behind to use a little bit more tyre.
12:58Every time we go through here, Marc's having to use more tyre.
13:01Is he going to be third-time lucky?
13:04Is he going to try and get the run through?
13:06Let's have a look.
13:07I mean, we're on board.
13:09Yep, here we go.
13:10It's getting closer, closer.
13:13He's got a chance this time.
13:16But now in the danger zone, in the braking zone,
13:19not close enough.
13:20You can't risk it.
13:25Oh, a moment for Martine at the front.
13:27First mistakes of the weekend for Jorge Martine.
13:30I know he's suddenly got three of them at the front of this race.
13:33It's game on in the Australian Grand Prix.
13:36We're not even at the halfway point yet.
13:38Still 15.5 to go.
13:40And Bagnaia turns underneath Jorge Martine.
13:43It's a mistake that cost him time through one, then through two.
13:46And now Martine comes back at Bagnaia.
13:49We're going to see a battle for the first time this year.
13:52And Marquez, he needs no invitation to come through up to second.
13:55Marquez is going, what am I going to do?
13:57I said I'd like to get involved as soon as there was a gap.
14:00He was there.
14:01I wonder what happened there, though.
14:03Obviously, there was a mistake from Martine,
14:05and it just took him a few corners to settle.
14:07Well, it also reminded him that he has got company in this race.
14:11Wow.
14:12This is so good to see, isn't it?
14:14For the first time there, Martine and Bagnaia trading places,
14:17trading paint down towards MG.
14:20Surely not close enough for Marquez.
14:23It'll be interesting to see how he fares compared to Martine,
14:26because Martine was also quick through 11 and 12.
14:30Marked off through there.
14:31It's incredible, isn't it?
14:32Gains time.
14:34Here we go.
14:35Here we go.
14:36You can really see the mid part of the corner.
14:39Yes, it's a more similar line, isn't it?
14:41Yes, it is.
14:42Bagnaia almost squares it off that little bit more,
14:44comes later through and uses the power of his Ducati.
14:47Mark Marquez isn't even thinking about overtaking Jorge Martine here.
14:51Martine did a 1.29.1 on that last lap.
14:54He was comparing that to the previous laps of Marquez and Bagnaia,
14:59which were 27.9, so over a second slower.
15:03I've got to say, this is what I expected, though, today.
15:05I expected Martine to be leading, I expected Marquez to be in the battle,
15:09and I was hoping Bagnaia could find something.
15:11We saw him this morning in the warm-up.
15:13They've turned that bike upside down,
15:15and it just looked like it was handling so much better for the Italian,
15:19so it's good to see him there.
15:21The reality is, what's it feel like for Bagnaia?
15:24Is he hanging on? Is he on his limit?
15:26It's so hard to tell at this point.
15:28He had to respond, didn't he, under the pressure
15:30that Mark Marquez was exerting behind him?
15:33And in doing so, he managed to get through on Martine,
15:37but as Martine fought back, it opened the door,
15:41and Mark Marquez came barreling through.
15:44Martine's bike looks so stable.
15:48The weight doesn't kick.
15:50Look, this is a perfect example down into MG.
15:52Normally, you see the weight transfer, you see the bike want to fishtail.
15:56That kicks off rails, it really does.
15:59Whatever they've found there with that setting on the Pramac Ducati,
16:03he looks so comfortable.
16:05Remember, they've got to keep their tyres underneath them.
16:09That's what Piero Taramasso from Michelin was saying.
16:12The tyre will get to the end,
16:14but it's up to the riders to manage things.
16:17And I think in this situation here,
16:19for the likes of Mark Marquez in particular,
16:21he's had to work really hard,
16:23had to make up the ground he lost at the start of the race.
16:27He's happy at the moment to have Martine just in his sights.
16:32Yeah, absolutely.
16:34Still can't believe he ran over his own tyre.
16:37He was messing around, he knew it had gone underneath his bike.
16:40Honestly, you can't believe the chances of that happening.
16:43So, so unlucky.
16:45Thankfully, it's not cost him anything.
16:48In fact, it might have cost him a little bit of rear tyre.
16:54Through Siberia they go,
16:56and it is a chilly day in the air.
16:58We're at the halfway point of this race,
17:0013.5 down, 13.5 to go,
17:03and there is nothing to choose between the top three
17:06in the championship as well,
17:08and the top three in this race.
17:11Remember, Martine leads Bagnaglia,
17:13who's in third by 16 points.
17:15A stick stand, the gap will be out to 25.
17:23We always used to say 25 was the benchmark, wasn't it?
17:26That you wanted as a lead in the championship.
17:28Full race weekend.
17:29Full race win, but now it's sprint races.
17:31It's a change.
17:33If Martine finished second in the remaining three sprints
17:37and three races,
17:39and Bagnaglia won them all,
17:41he'd only make up 24 points.
17:43So 25 is the amount that Martine needs
17:47to only have to finish second in every remaining race.
17:51Good response there for Jorge Martine.
17:53He's set his fastest lap of the race at this point to 27.8.
17:57That said, both the riders in the battle have responded.
18:01This looks like a nice battle here.
18:03It does. Gian Antonio got through on Bastinini.
18:05They're both trying to find a way through on Brad Binder.
18:08Frankie Morbinelli's just pulled a little gap
18:10as they all do battle behind.
18:13Don't you feel Maverick's just sat there?
18:15Probably saving his tyres, Maverick.
18:17We know that Aprilio is quite kind on tyres.
18:19He'll be watching these lot battle it out,
18:21duff each other up. That's a big mistake there.
18:23Yes, that's allowed Binder back through,
18:25and Bastinini. Is Maverick going to get through as well?
18:28No, says Fabio Di Giano Antonio.
18:32But Maverick quite often is the fastest at the end of a race.
18:36A bit like Bastinini in that.
18:38Just their style lends itself to it.
18:40You've got a feeling now where Maverick is.
18:42He's definitely got a top six in him in this race.
18:44I don't know, though. The other thing is,
18:46Aprilio in the long race, though, has suffered, hasn't it?
18:49That's true.
18:51At the front, the gap is still fairly steady.
18:53Personal best laps on the previous one
18:55for Martín and for Bagnaia.
18:57But Marquez and Bagnaia had identical lap times.
19:00It's so tight at the front.
19:02That's at the top left.
19:04This is the battle raging between Binder and Di Giano Antonio.
19:07For fifth, one more actually with the name of Bastinini,
19:10who's just behind Brad Binder.
19:15Binder's a little bit further up the road.
19:18Done well, just to shake off the shackles.
19:21Wow. Another fantastic lap.
19:23Jorge Martín leading.
19:25Again, the fastest lap for him of the race.
19:28But yet again, Marquez has been able to respond.
19:31But Bagnaia, you feel like he's just at his limit.
19:35He's now won. There you go. You can see there.
19:37Look at that.
19:391.2 behind Jorge Martín.
19:410.9 behind Marc Marquez,
19:43who is keeping Martín honest.
19:46We knew he'd have a say somehow in this title fight.
19:49Marc Marquez, maybe not to win it.
19:51But at the moment, he's taking points away from his future teammates.
20:01Through the hayshed.
20:02Beautiful part of the racetrack
20:04as this track flows up and over the top of Luque Heights
20:08through the left-hander turn 9.
20:10Down towards, dropping down,
20:12steep down there into MG Corner.
20:18Jorge Martín's been given a scare in this race.
20:21Paco Bagnaia got through briefly.
20:24But now, Bagnaia looks a little bit lost.
20:29Yeah, the problem is once the gap gets that big,
20:32when it's up to nearly a second,
20:34you do lose that toe and it's a little bit disheartening.
20:37What can happen as well?
20:38You only need to have one big slide.
20:40You lose the front, you save it on your knee.
20:42We don't see it.
20:43And at that point, that is the bike talking to you,
20:46to say, listen, today, third place,
20:48we're going to have to take it.
20:51Beautiful shots of the bus straight
20:53as they go through the southern loop.
20:54That's the Southern Ocean.
20:55Down to Tasmania on one side,
20:57Antarctica next,
20:58and that's why just a little bit of a chill in the air,
21:01even though the sunshine is bearing down on this racetrack.
21:04A little mark on Bagnaia's tyre.
21:08Just starting a little bit on the middle part, actually.
21:12It's the left edge,
21:13which is both asymmetric front and rear.
21:15The left edge, which really gets a battering.
21:18It's the harder edge of the tyres.
21:21Riding behind number four.
21:23Okay, it's not...
21:25Dobbing?
21:26Yeah, I was going to say,
21:27it's not Brandy Dupouillet this time, it's Dobbing.
21:30So what was he saying?
21:31Turn four is the danger point?
21:32We thought it was the corner, didn't we?
21:34Back in Misano,
21:35when we were talking about turn 14,
21:37that's where the danger point of the racetrack is.
21:41Yeah, do you reckon it's that?
21:42Turn four again?
21:44You're going to have to say yes,
21:45it would make sense because that does add up.
21:48There's no rider number four, so yeah.
21:51Yeah, that is, if you look,
21:53and it's interesting because
21:55if you're Jorge Martin,
21:56you have zero information.
21:58You don't know what's going on behind you.
21:59You don't know where Mark's potentially strong.
22:02Once you get that information in your pocket,
22:04it's like, okay, there's 11 laps to go.
22:06Now 10.
22:07All I've got to make sure I do is
22:09I keep it relatively defensive into there.
22:12Slightly wide there, Jorge Martin.
22:14Not a lot, but when we're talking about
22:16how precise he is.
22:17Just missed the apex ever so slightly.
22:19This one's like a double one-two.
22:20He went in early, then you come back out,
22:22then you cut it back into the kerb.
22:25Again, slightly wide.
22:27Try and stand the bike up to
22:28give the edge of the tyre a bit of a rest
22:30and then into the best corner on the track.
22:32Stoner corner.
22:33Turn three.
22:35And this is where we think the team are saying
22:37Marquez is strong.
22:39This is where you're going to have to defend.
22:41Put your bike in the middle of the racetrack.
22:43Jorge.
22:45Panaia is dropping further back now.
22:47Can't maintain the pace of the front two.
22:50He's one and a half seconds behind Mark Marquez.
22:54Yeah.
22:55Panaia needs these two to have a go at each other.
22:58Panaia needs Mark Marquez to have a lunch.
23:02But if you're Mark right now, why would you?
23:04There's no need to.
23:06Whilst you can see your pit bulge increasing
23:08from the rider behind,
23:09you're pulling away from Panaia.
23:11You just sit there slightly.
23:13Martin had a little...
23:15He's going through the gears there.
23:18The only reason Mark might want to attack early
23:21and only he will know this
23:23is how the front of that bike feels.
23:24Is the front tyre pressure a little bit high?
23:27Does it feel like it's loose?
23:29Yeah.
23:30There was a tyre pressure penalty for Fabio Di Gianantonio yesterday.
23:33He got eight seconds added to his sprint time.
23:35Of course, in MotoGP, it's 16 seconds
23:38that would be added to your time.
23:41Look at that. On that lap,
23:42the leading two were 0.9 of a second faster than Panaia.
23:46And that's Panaia.
23:47Not that he's given up, but you're literally there.
23:49You concede to the fact that,
23:51okay, fair enough.
23:53And pretty much to the rest of the field, Neil, as well.
23:56Everyone else in the 29th,
23:58really only Di Gian Vinales and not...
24:04Oh, that got really close in there
24:08at the Miller hairpin.
24:11I thought there might have been a little bit of contact there.
24:15Coming in so hot behind Jorge Martin.
24:17Martin's just taking some funky lines at the moment.
24:20And when I say funky,
24:21all I mean is what is protecting his tyre?
24:24He's obviously trying to do that.
24:25But also, I think he's protecting his line of it.
24:27Yeah, I think you're right.
24:29Martin's lines are more Vs.
24:31He's going in a little bit hotter,
24:33slowing it in the middle, standing up on exit.
24:35That gives the side of the tyre a little bit more of an easier time.
24:38Marcus is definitely carrying more corner speed.
24:41You know, when you said earlier
24:42about how stable Martin's bike looked,
24:45it doesn't look as stable over the last couple of laps.
24:47It just looks like it's starting to get out of shape.
24:50I want to remind everyone,
24:52they have hardly had any time on a fully dry track.
24:55They had Friday afternoon,
24:58but they had to turn that into a qualifying session
25:00because it was the only time they had on Friday.
25:02There's Mark Marquez, pulls out of the slipstream.
25:05He can get close to the bike
25:07with the pace he has through the final corner.
25:09You get close to the bike in front,
25:11he doesn't seem to have the top end to get past.
25:14Which is what we've seen all year with that 23 Ducati.
25:17It's down on power.
25:19The Ride-Out device on the 24 Ducati works much better,
25:23so it offers a little bit more grip.
25:25It offers less wheelie, so you can use more power.
25:28And that's a graphic example.
25:30Mark gets out of the corner a little bit quicker,
25:32stand the bike up, and there's nothing you can do.
25:34The bike doesn't continue to go forward.
25:36So if Mark is to make a pass, it's going to be tight.
25:39It's going to have to be a lunge.
25:41There's a couple of places, obviously turn four,
25:44the Miller corner, the MG corner is an obvious one.
25:47Or does he try a sneaky one?
25:49Does he go into turn one as close as he can?
25:52You leave the door slightly open into two.
25:54Maybe he's got to try and surprise Jorge Martín.
26:01Over the top of Luque Heights.
26:05Martín, yeah, no defending there.
26:08Door was wide open, but Marquez just could not get close enough.
26:12Well, he'll see that, won't he, Mark?
26:14He'll see. He's getting all the information here.
26:16Martín has none.
26:19Tense times for Gino Borsoi, team boss down there at Pramac.
26:23And they cross the line, seven laps to go.
26:26We have got a finale coming in the Australian Grand Prix.
26:30Mark Marquez on the 93, chasing Jorge Martín on the 89.
26:35You are not going to break Jorge Martín into turn one.
26:39He is deep into there.
26:41He's been working on that all weekend,
26:42so it's more of one of these, I can see.
26:44That switchback into two, yeah.
26:46Or even around here, Mark's so good around turn two.
26:51You go out, you don't go out wide in the middle,
26:53but you leave enough room to stick a front wheel in,
26:56and Mark will not need a second invitation.
26:58There's one thing I can guarantee you.
27:00As the laps click down, if there's a chance, Mark will risk everything.
27:06Yeah, he's not thinking about the championship.
27:08He's thinking about a race victory.
27:10He's thinking about third in the championship.
27:12He's thinking about his legacy.
27:14He's thinking about another Grand Prix win to his name here.
27:18There's his Jemma watching on.
27:20I had to remind him what position he finished in the sprint race yesterday,
27:24which is on a gold.
27:29Through Luque.
27:30I tell you though, look, I mean, your top three,
27:33Jorge Martín, Mark Marquez, Peco Bagnaia,
27:36I mean, they're streets ahead of everybody.
27:38You look at fourth place, Anil Bassanini.
27:40He's ten seconds behind.
27:42There's seven laps to go.
27:43There's only been 20 laps.
27:45Half a second a lap faster than the rest of the field.
27:49And as you work your way down after, with seven laps to go,
27:53you've got, let's say, Miller's 16 seconds behind.
27:56You'll go a bit further down.
27:57Alex Marquez is in 15th, like miles behind.
28:01The pace at the front is incredible.
28:05And Martín's trying again.
28:06That lap time then at 28.1 at this point in the race.
28:10But Martín is trying to break him.
28:12But Mark's going with him.
28:13He was four thousandths quicker than Martín on that last lap.
28:16Mark Marquez.
28:19He's trying to suss it out from this position.
28:21And normally this is why Mark Marquez has won eight world championships.
28:25Because when the tires go off,
28:27he can normally extract the most out of them.
28:30And we're at that point now, aren't we?
28:32Six laps to go.
28:33The gauntlet has been laid down at Jorge Martín's door.
28:36You want this championship.
28:38Well, you're going to have to go hand-to-hand with Mark Marquez.
28:42Out of Siberia.
28:45Through the fast left into the A-shed.
28:48Fourth gear right-hander.
28:50He's just surely now, Marquez.
28:52He's sat there, saving a lunge somewhere.
28:56Saving for a last moment.
28:57I know Jorge Martín's pushing on the pace.
28:59And I know that Mark Marquez,
29:01he's probably having to push to his absolute limit to stick with him.
29:04But you just feel like,
29:05every single time the gap gets up to two tenths,
29:08Mark closes it up again.
29:10It's like he's saying,
29:11I'm going to do this.
29:12I'm going to give myself the last lap to do so.
29:14What do you think?
29:15Yeah, it is one of them.
29:16And the beauty of doing that is you don't give the rider that you've passed
29:20time to respond, time to look at you.
29:22We always say at this point in the race,
29:24Marquez has all the information.
29:26He knows exactly what's going on.
29:28When you're leading, do you know what happens as well?
29:30When you're leading, your anxiety level builds.
29:32You can't break the rider from behind.
29:34Look at the lap times.
29:35Again, 28.0.
29:37They're nearly a second a lap faster than everybody.
29:39That's the point there, I think.
29:40That turn two there,
29:41when Mark just turns it tighter in all the left-handers.
29:44He's turning it underneath Jorge Martín.
29:47Again, 128.0 from Martín.
29:50Again, 128.0 from Marquez.
29:52Three hundredths quicker,
29:54Marquez,
29:56than Martín on that last lap.
29:58Again, down into the Miller hairpin.
30:00Martín is resolute.
30:01He holds firm.
30:02He's under pressure.
30:03As things stand, he is responding to it beautifully.
30:10Through Siberia.
30:11On board.
30:12Let's listen to the GP23 of Mark Marquez.
30:18You don't win 61 MotoGP races
30:21by not having a little bit of savvy race craft.
30:26Come on then, Neil.
30:27Trying to work out that puzzle.
30:30Where do you see it happening?
30:31Again, you see how much quicker he is able to enter into MG there.
30:40Jorge Martín standing firm.
30:42Not giving a glint.
30:44I'm delaying answering your question.
30:45I noticed.
30:46It's not easy at all.
30:47I'm having to fill the gap as you try and work out where Mark can do it.
30:50Not into turn one,
30:51so that means he probably will be into turn one.
30:53But I can't see into turn one.
30:55Watch how late this man is on the brakes in front.
30:57There you go.
30:58To pass Jorge Martín into turn one,
31:01you are going to go wide.
31:02This is the opportunity.
31:04That's one into there,
31:05which is really a bit more.
31:07Bit of a slide.
31:08Now, on that point there in the middle.
31:10He's right on the rear tyre of Jorge Martín.
31:13Mark Marquez.
31:14The pace dropped a couple of tenths on that previous lap.
31:17Over the little crest.
31:18Down into Stoner Corner.
31:20Is there a chance this time at heaven?
31:22Look at the drive that Marquez has got.
31:24And Martín was covering it up.
31:26Martín covered that up.
31:27Because Marquez got much better drive on that occasion.
31:30And Marquez is going to attack.
31:32He's gone round the outside of him.
31:33And he takes over the lead in the Australian Grand Prix.
31:36He set that up.
31:37Martín tried to defend.
31:39And Marquez just drove underneath him.
31:41Yeah, three and a half laps to go now.
31:42You're not thinking about your tyres.
31:44No conservation at all.
31:45It's full attack mode.
31:47Everything you have.
31:50Well, Martín is finally going to get a chance
31:52to see where Mark Marquez is strong.
31:54Does he fight straight back?
31:55Does he sit there?
31:56And try and get a look at Marquez.
31:58Is he going to attack down into NG Corner?
32:00Not on this occasion.
32:02So, finally we have a change in the lead
32:05that's stuck in this race.
32:07And it comes with just over three laps remaining.
32:10Martín will see that through here,
32:13Marquez is great.
32:14Excellent through the corner.
32:16But will probably have the legs
32:18as they head down towards the first corner.
32:20Down the Gardner Straight.
32:21Into Dewans.
32:22Let's have a watch of Jorge Martín.
32:24Is he able to get straight back through?
32:26Of course he is.
32:27Of course he is.
32:28Marquez was across the line first, crucially.
32:31And that is the difference.
32:32And that is the difference.
32:33That sums up this season.
32:35How much better the 2024 Ducati is.
32:38Look at Mark turning through two and three.
32:42He's just closing in on all of the left-handers.
32:45But then when the bikes really get their legs stretched,
32:50there's no way Marquez can hang with Martín.
32:53Oh, this is going to be tight.
32:54That's a big lunge, a big block pass.
32:56And Mark Marquez comes through to lead once more.
32:59That's a lunge.
33:00Thankfully, no contact.
33:02And they both stay upright.
33:03I think that came from downtown cows.
33:05I mean, that was a lunge.
33:07I mean, it's getting borderline.
33:10I'm glad Jorge Martín stood up.
33:12But we know Jorge Martín's a fighter.
33:14He'll be having none of that.
33:15And he knows that his bike, his Ducati,
33:18has got that little bit of extra speed.
33:21The one question I was going to throw into there,
33:23does Martín think, look, I'm not going to give it in,
33:26but does he now start to think about the championship?
33:28Because he's going to extend his lead over Jorge Martín,
33:31over Peco Bagnaia.
33:34Do I want to get into a battle with Mark Marquez,
33:37with a person who never knows that he's beaten?
33:40Who would trade paint?
33:41Who would barge me off the track?
33:43Do I need that?
33:44Well, he'll try and pass cleanly
33:46as he comes out of the final corner.
33:48He's going to have the pace
33:49as they go down towards turn one again.
33:51Marquez is leading across the line,
33:54but Jorge Martín this time is not able to get through.
33:58So Marquez leads.
33:59This is where Marquez struck, into two.
34:01Is Martín going to come through now?
34:03No.
34:04Marquez firmly shuts the door.
34:06It's so interesting.
34:07You look at the 23 Ducati with Mark on,
34:10it turns better,
34:11but the Ducati with Jorge Martín
34:13just punctures out of all the corners so much better.
34:16You feel like the turning is Mark Marquez
34:19rather than the bike, don't you?
34:21Just his skills on left-hand corners
34:23into the Miller hairpin.
34:25And again, no way through for Jorge Martín
34:28heading out towards Siberia.
34:30Still Peco Bagnaia sits in third,
34:33ready to pick up the pieces
34:34should any accident befall these two at the front.
34:38I'll tell you what,
34:39Mark Marquez has had a couple of really good corners there.
34:41In fact, Martín was a little bit deep into turn four.
34:45Fabio Di D'Antonio just at a personal best.
34:47In the 27s, he's just taken an Air Bastianini
34:50and got a lap to go for fourth place.
34:52Now there's a good battle going on for the remaining places.
34:56But this is the one we want to see.
34:58There's a yellow flag further back
34:59as Mark Marquez comes through 11 and 12.
35:02Frankie Carcani, his crew chief, watches on.
35:05We are going to have one more lap to go.
35:07Two and three quarter miles of this Phillip Island circuit
35:11to decide who's going to take the 25 points.
35:14And the way Mark Marquez has just ridden on this lap
35:17suggests he may be the one to take the victory.
35:20Across the line, he's back towards the 128.0s.
35:24He has managed his size,
35:26despite an awful start in this race, to perfection.
35:30Absolutely incredible.
35:31But I'll tell you what, Martín's quick through this part.
35:33So if he can get a good exit out of two,
35:36he's then going to just hope that Mark Marquez makes a bit of a mistake.
35:39Mark's going to be defensive into turn four.
35:41That can easily push you wide.
35:43It's so easy to make a mistake.
35:45This is Tophi's stoner corner that it's all about.
35:48Timing the braking perfectly.
35:50Trail braking, holding your breath,
35:51hoping the front doesn't fall.
35:53Yeah, and he smote the rear tyre through stoner corner
35:56just like the Aussie would have done in his day two into Siberia.
36:00Gave Martín no chance.
36:02In fact, I thought Martín might have just gone that little bit deep through there,
36:06trying to come back at him.
36:07And Marquez has enough in his pocket surely now.
36:090.6 of a second.
36:11No mistakes with half a lap remaining.
36:13This, after the start that he had in the race,
36:16is one of his best races, I have to say.
36:19It's incredible to see what he's done.
36:21Yeah, the absolute limit.
36:22The rider making the difference.
36:24You saw when Martín was behind him,
36:26he has a better bike, far superior.
36:28More power, more exit speed, faster on the straights.
36:31But this man is faster around the corners.
36:33Absolutely outstanding gap.
36:36We have had an epic battle here,
36:38as always at the Australian Grand Prix.
36:41But he is the master of the fight.
36:43He still knows how to come out on top when it matters.
36:46And Marquez somehow has won the Australian Grand Prix
36:49from Jorge Martín in second.
36:52Peco Bagnaio is going to come across the line in third.
36:55And he'll have to thank his future teammates
36:57for taking another five points out of Jorge Martín.
37:00Yeah, that could be massive, as we know, with this championship.
37:03Martín's extended his lead, but what a ride from Marquez.
37:07We get criticised sometimes for saying good things about him.
37:10I mean, what a ride.
37:13Look at that.
37:14I mean, the next 23 Ducati,
37:16so the next person on the equal machine
37:18if he's 12 seconds behind him.
37:21Incredible ride from Marquez after that start.
37:24That's the bit that makes it.
37:26As the Grissini team celebrate,
37:28this will go on long, I'm telling you.
37:30He is enjoying it.
37:32And who can blame him?
37:34I mean, he loves this place anyway.
37:36He's had so much success here over the years at Phillip Island.
37:41And he has done it again, Neil.
37:43That is, I have to say, I was expecting him to be in the mix,
37:47but not having been, what, was he 10th at Turn 1 in the first lap?
37:51We need to watch that again.
37:52Imagine at the breaking point into Turn 1,
37:55he'll have been lower down than 10th.
37:57How lucky was he?
37:58I mean, the fact to get the tear off under the back wheel,
38:01it spun up.
38:02Thankfully, it didn't go far enough around where he flicked him off.
38:05But, yeah, what a win.
38:08Win number 62 in the MotoGP class.
38:11Win number 88 in overall Grand Prix wins.
38:15I mean, just...
38:18Yeah, another Ducati win.
38:20Again, it extends there.
38:21And I'm going to throw a warning.
38:24He's going to be on a much better motorcycle next year.
38:27You saw it.
38:29Pekka Sanyaya just eased past him.
38:32Jorge Martín eased past him.
38:35He's just asking for the Marc Marquez flag.
38:40How cool is that for some fan?
38:41That's brilliant.
38:42He's just waved him over.
38:43That's not someone from the team.
38:44That's made his weekend.
38:45That's made his lifetime.
38:46That's...
38:48It was that guy who ran out with the flag at Filipainen.
38:51This is the moment, Neil.
38:52It was so Marc Marquez, wasn't it?
38:55Oh, that wasn't the one.
38:56No, it is.
38:58Yeah, it was the lap before when we let the brake go.
39:01Yeah, there was a chance.
39:02There was room.
39:04Was it a mistake from Marc?
39:05Yeah, it was.
39:06Trying to defend.
39:07Exactly.
39:08You've just been forced into it.
39:09The reality is, you know that there's going to be a move into there.
39:12You brake one meter later, then you end up missing the apex.
39:15It'd be interesting to know if the team had said,
39:17defend at four.
39:18If rider number four means, you know, that's the corner you're vulnerable.
39:21I'm going to say, it must be that.
39:24Gino Borsoin.
39:28Having real-life nightmares.
39:30Yeah, that was the launch of the lap before,
39:32so then obviously the lap after, then what does Martin do?
39:35Brakes a little bit later to prevent that from happening,
39:37and then that's what you end up with.
39:39That's the situation.
39:40Oh, that's a great race.
39:42I'm so pleased we've had it,
39:44because after the turgid affair of Metegi,
39:46we've been served up a classic here.
39:48Oh, can we come here every week?
39:51We said it a year ago, Neil, after Joan Sarko won that race.
39:54Another one that was pinched from under Martin's nose.
39:57Yeah, absolutely.
39:58But we're in Buriram next weekend,
40:00and think of the last lap battles we've had there
40:02with that beautiful last corner.
40:04Well, last year, wasn't it?
40:05It was Martin versus Bagnaia versus Binder.
40:08Yeah, three abreast.
40:09It was one of the best battles we ever had.
40:11Exactly, three abreast.
40:12Marcus is all right around there, you know.
40:14You remember his battles that he's had around there
40:16with the likes of Bagno Pateraro, yeah.
40:22That will taste sweet for Marc Marcus.
40:2751 seconds faster than last year's Australian Grand Prix here.
40:32Obviously, that was in very strange conditions.
40:37But it shows what a new asphalt can do.
40:44Caleb Messini welcomes him in back in.
40:47That's his third win of the season, of course, in the main race.
40:50I wonder if he'll hold up the number three.
40:54It's a serious question, Gav.
40:55Do you think he...
40:56Look, they've all got tear-offs.
40:59Do you think he regrets leaving Honda?
41:02Yeah, I'm not sure.
41:05Do you think he's enjoying his racing now?
41:07What was his goal at the start of the year, though?
41:09This alone?
41:10Moments like this?
41:11Can I enjoy it again?
41:13Well, he's not only enjoying it,
41:15he's winning, he's showing that he's back.
41:17Back to, maybe not his best just yet,
41:20but, I don't know, maybe on a GP25?
41:23How's that package going to look?
41:28He has gone for the number three.
41:31Aragon, Rizzardo and Philipp Eilandau.
41:34Explain the story.
41:35Well, yesterday, when he qualified...
41:39Aragon, Rizzardo and Philipp Eilandau.
41:42Aragon, Rizzardo and Philipp Eilandau.
41:45Explain the story.
41:46Well, yesterday, when he qualified in second on the grid,
41:50he held on to number three,
41:52and his girlfriend there, Gemma, had to remind him,
41:54no, you finished second.
41:56And so, then when he finished second in the sprint,
41:58he held on to number three.
42:00And that's where the number three comes in.
42:02What is this for a freak accident?
42:04Throws it away,
42:05wind blows it back underneath the bike,
42:07he realises that,
42:08so then he tries to move it.
42:10I saw all this going on and I'm thinking,
42:12why is he not focusing?
42:13We said, what's going on underneath his bike?
42:15Got a problem?
42:17This is incredible.
42:21That breaks traction enough for it to skid.
42:23So where is that tear off now?
42:24Because that's worth something.
42:26Look at where he is, though, on the field.
42:28Right, let's see if we can watch it all the way into turn one.
42:30This will be really interesting.
42:34I mean, he's just almost standing still,
42:36has to roll right.
42:37Albania does brilliantly, I have to say.
42:39He's still almost got away as quickly as Maverick Vinales,
42:42but he was swallowed up by the field.
42:44He must have lunged down into turn one or two.
42:46Never.