Spanish rider Raul Fernandez secured his first MotoGP victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Aprilia rider capitalised on two long lap penalties served by Marco Bezzecchi to cross the finish line 1.418 seconds ahead of Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Bezzecchi, who won Saturday’s 13-lap sprint race, completed the podium in third position despite his earlier dominance.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta finished fifth behind Alex Marquez, with Luca Marini and Alex Rins taking sixth and seventh places respectively.
Fernandez’s breakthrough win came in his 76th grand prix appearance while Marquez strengthened his position in the championship standings.
The Gresini rider’s fourth-place finish earned him 13 valuable points in his quest for second place in the world championship.
Marquez now holds a 97-point advantage over Bezzecchi with only 111 points remaining across the final three races.
Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia endured a difficult weekend after crashing out with just four laps remaining.
The Ducati rider struggled throughout the weekend with unexplained bike vibrations that also affected his performance in Indonesia.
Bagnaia’s early exit meant he scored no points and dropped to fourth position in the championship standings.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez missed the Australian round after undergoing shoulder surgery following his collision with Bezzecchi in Indonesia.
Bezzecchi received a double long lap penalty for causing the incident that ultimately cost him potential victory in Australia.
The Italian rider had stormed into an early lead before serving his penalties on laps five and six of the race.
Fernandez built a commanding lead after Bezzecchi’s penalties and maintained his advantage throughout the remaining laps.
Local hope Jack Miller crashed out early in the race after starting from third position on the grid.
French rider Johann Zarco and Honda’s Joan Mir also failed to finish after separate incidents during the grand prix. – AFP
