MotoGP analysis: How Marquez won the duel Down Under

Bengaluru, October 28: Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales played high speed chess at the Australian Grand Prix, with the two locked in a tense duel for supremacy throughout.

It was not a duel fought in overtakes and swapped paint, it was a duel in pure speed - with the two perfectly matched the point they made a break for it right down to the final lap.

That final lap was a dramatic one as Marquez struck early and Vinales dug deep to fight back - and then suffered a dramatic crash that decided the first time the two men have really gone head to head.

Marquez claims dramatic Australian GP win as Vinales crashes out Marquez claims dramatic Australian GP win as Vinales crashes out

With that, Cal Crutchlow's impressive ride became one to second place and his best finish of the season, with Jack Miller completing the podium to the delight of the home fans - the first Aussie to stand on the rostrum on home soil in the premier class since MotoGP legend Casey Stoner won the 2012 event at Phillip Island.

That's it from Phillip Island and another absolute classic Down Under, with another year to wait until we return. But there's less than a week until we're back on track in Malaysia at Sepang International Circuit, so tune in as the top Independent Rider and Team title fights roll on, and the team standings could get another shake up..

Dramatic start

From the start, the race was a classic - and dramatic. From P4 on the grid, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got a great launch to get the holeshot into Doohan Corner, with team-mate Vinales slipping to P6 from pole.

Then, at Turn 2, two heavyweights were out of the race: Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was pushed slightly wide by Marquez as the packed shuffled into the left-hander, and the Italian was a little too eager on the gas, highsiding and dramatically launched into Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Frenchman was already wide and almost on the grass, therefore sadly also right in the path of the oncoming Italian.

Crutchlow powers past

Back at the front, 'The Doctor' was still leading the way on his 400th Grand Prix start, with Crutchlow and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini's Andrea Iannone slotting in behind the Italian as a freight train of nine riders formed at the front in the opening handful of laps.

Rossi held P1 until Lap 4 when Crutchlow powered past the Yamaha into Turn 1, before Iannone then spectacularly led the race for Aprilia as Crutchlow, Iannone, Rossi, Marquez, Vinales, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Miller and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all battled one another in a scintillating start to the 2019 Australian GP.

Monster battle

The man with the pace for most of the weekend was slowly picking his way through the pack though. Vinales was up to third on Lap 8, second on Lap 9 and the lead on Lap 10.

Knowing the polesitter had the pace to make a break, third place Marquez was then in a hurry to get past Crutchlow as he shoved the Brit wide at the top of Lukey Heights. That dropped the number 35 down to P4 behind Iannone, and Vinales and Marquez immediately seemed to pull the pin. Crutchlow passed the Aprilia of Iannone into Turn 1 and attempted to go with the leading duo as all three set mid 1:29s and escaped the monster battle for P4.