Italian veteran Valentino Rossi has won the Australian MotoGP on Phillip Island with champion Marc Marquez crashing out late.
The Spaniard, who wrapped up his second MotoGP crown last round in Japan, sensationally lost control of his Honda coming down the hill at Lukey Heights with ten laps remaining.
Previously trailing by more than four seconds, Rossi sped past a stranded but unhurt Marquez for his sixth MotoGP win on Phillip Island and first since 2005.
The popular Rossi won from eighth on the grid – just as Australian Jack Miller had done in the Moto3 race earlier in the day.
Rossi’s victory came ahead of Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Brad Smith was third.
The 35-year-old champion said victory in his 250th MotoGP start was fantastic and came after “a great race”.
“I knew I had to start behind but I knew I had quite good pace,” he said.
“On the second corner I saw Marc and Jorge in front and I was still sixth – I thought `this will be hard’.
“But after I was able to overtake it was fine.”
The win means Rossi takes control of the battle for second place in the championship.
The Italian now leads Lorenzo in third place by eight points, with Pedrosa a further 17 points back.
The title was wrapped up by Marquez in the Japanese Grand Prix a week earlier.
Rossi said to win again in Australia was especially meaningful.
“On one of the best and more important tracks and beautiful tracks of the season, after ten years from my last victory is a great achievement,” he said.
Rossi’s tight battle with Lorenzo looked certain to decide second place but a dramatic last ten laps changed everything.
Suffering tyre troubles, Lorenzo was overtaken by Cal Crutchlow but the Englishman crashed out with a lap remaining to preserve Lorenzo’s runner-up position.
The Spaniard called it “the luckiest second place of my life”.
“On the wrong tyre, it was impossible to fight for position,” he said.
Crutchlow was one of nine forced retirements, including Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro.
Australian Broc Parkes was also forced to pit and retire half way through the race.
AUSTRALIAN MOTOGP RESULTS
1 Valentino Rossi – Yamaha
2 Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha
3 Bradley Smith – Yamaha
4 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati
5 Hector Barbera – Ducati
6 Alvaro Bautista – Honda
7 Scott Redding – Honda
8 Hiroshi Aoyama – Honda
9 Alex De Angelis – Yamaha
10 Nicky Hayden – Honda
MOTOGP STANDINGS (After 16 rounds)
1 Marc Marquez – Honda – 312 points
2 Valentino Rossi – Yamaha – 255
3 Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha – 247
4 Dani Pedrosa – Honda – 230
5 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati – 166
6 Aleix Espargaro – Yamaha – 117
7 Pol Espargaro – Yamaha – 116
8 Bradley Smith – Yamaha – 108
9 Andrea Iannone – Ducati – 102
10 Stefan Bradl – Honda – 96
