Bengaluru, October 16: The 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship title race will go down the wire with Alex Rins winning a dramatic Australian GP at the Phillip Island circuit after a last-lap duel with Marc Marquez as Francesco Bagnaia became the new leader with Fabio Quartararo crashing out.

The 26-year-old Spaniard finished ahead of his resurgent countryman with Bagnaia in third for the fourth win of his career.

It was the Suzuki rider's first win of the season.

Australian GP: Jorge Martin breaks Jorge Lorenzo's lap record to grab pole, Marc Marquez qualifies second Australian GP: Jorge Martin breaks Jorge Lorenzo's lap record to grab pole, Marc Marquez qualifies second

Bagnaia will be left disappointed not to have won a race he led the majority of but the result will still prove crucial towards his 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship hopes.

In a major blow for Australian fans, home hero Jack Miller of Ducati was taken out of the race by Spaniard Alex Marquez on lap eight.

RESULTS (Top 10)

1. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar)
2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.186
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.224
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.534
5. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) + 0.557
6. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.688
7. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.884
8. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 3.141
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 4.548
10. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 5.940

Tight at the top

Rins and Marc Marquez swooped on the final lap to pass Bagnaia, with the top seven all finishing within eight-tenths of a second.

If Bagnaia had held on for the win, he could have claimed the title with victory in the penultimate race in Malaysia. Instead, reigning champion Quartararo remains in contention.

Fighting Marquez

Marquez passed Rins for second at Southern Loop on the penultimate lap, but the Suzuki rider hit back straight away at Stoner Corner, and that was how they commenced Lap 27 of 27.

Rins went a corner earlier this time with a move on Bagnaia at Southern Loop and Marquez followed, with those three covered by just 0.224sec when they took the chequered flag.

Martin sixth

Marco Bezzecchi got home fourth and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), who had started only 15th, took fifth after a final-lap pass of Luca Marini at Lukey Heights (Turn 9).

Marini was therefore sixth, ahead of pole-sitter Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), while Aleix Espargaro faded to ninth and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the top 10.

Match point Bagnaia

In the 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship standings, Bagnaia now leads by 14 points over Quartararo, with Aleix Espargaro another 13 back and Bastianini also still in contention at 42 points off the pace.

Bagnaia has the match point as the MotoGP caravan moves to the Sepang International Circuit on October 23 before the MotoGP season ends with the traditional race in Valencia, Spain, on November 6.