Marc Marquez wins Australian sprint; Jorge Martin taken to medical centre after crash
Marquez took the sprint victory at Phillip Island and moved into the championship lead after Jorge Martin crashed and was taken to the medical centre.
Marc Marquez won the Tissot Sprint at the Australian Grand Prix and moved into the lead of the riders' standings ahead of tomorrow’s main race.
The sprint at Phillip Island produced a spectacular duel between Marquez and his closest rival in the championship, Jorge Martin. The two fought wheel-to-wheel from the start, swapping the lead repeatedly — nine lead changes came inside the first eight laps.
Drama struck on lap eight when Martin lost control at the very fast right-hander, turn eight, sliding into the gravel runoff. He was removed from the scene on a stretcher by track medical staff and taken to the circuit medical centre, where he is undergoing medical checks.
Race outcome and gaps
Marquez managed to keep the advantage to the flag, securing his ninth sprint victory of this season, crossing the line 0.323 seconds ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati). Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46) finished third, giving Ducati riders the top three positions on the sprint podium.
The sprint win put the reigning champion into the championship lead — ten points clear of the “Martinator” and 50 points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi — heading into Sunday’s full Grand Prix.
For Marc Marquez this was his 24th career victory in sprint races, and the incident at turn eight will be a focal point for teams and medical staff as the weekend continues.
Photo: press material from the event
