From a nightmare start to a dream finish: Marquez storms home to win Australian MotoGP in a classic

Spain’s Marc Marquez recovered from a nightmare start to sensationally claim his fifth Australian MotoGP victory.

Having fallen back to 13th after wheel-spinning off the start line, the six-time MotoGP world champion produced a flawless ride and finally overtook countryman Jorge Martin with four laps to go at Phillip Island on Sunday.

Martin, the championship leader, fought back in a tense sprint to the finish line, but the experienced Marquez, now 31, held him off to close the gap to him and Italian Francesco Bagnaia at the top of the standings.

After Marquez’s horror start, he quickly hauled in the pack in the first few laps, setting a MotoGP lap record at Phillip Island of 1.27.900.

Australian favourite Jack Miller improved from 15th on the grid to finish in 11th.

But luck was not in the Queenslander’s favour over the weekend, suffering his worst qualifying result at the Victorian racetrack after hitting a rabbit, before a seagull strike hampered his bike in Saturday’s sprint.

Maverick Vinales made a miraculous recovery to finish in eighth after a horror high-speed crash with Marco Bezzechi in Saturday’s sprint race.

Bezzechi was handed a penalty by stewards for running into the back of Vinales and fell further back when crashing out on lap five, this time without taking any rivals out with him.