PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia (Reuters) -Raul Fernandez delivered a dominant performance to claim his maiden MotoGP victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing a first-ever triumph for Trackhouse Racing in the premier class.
Sprint-winner Marco Bezzecchi, who began second on the grid, made an electric start to snatch the lead from pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo before the first corner. The Italian's rapid getaway also allowed Fernandez and Pedro Acosta to overtake Quartararo, who had set a record-breaking lap in Saturday's qualifying.
However, Bezzecchi charge was short-lived, as he had to serve a double long lap penalty for his collision with newly-crowned MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider served his penalty and fought his way back to an impressive third-place finish.
DI GIANNANTONIO SECOND, BEZZECCHI RECOVERS FOR PODIUM, BAGNAIA CRASHES
Fernandez capitalised on Bezzecchi's setback to take the lead, and once he found himself with clear track ahead, the 24-year-old Spaniard was untouchable.
Fernandez's triumph marked a milestone for Aprilia, as they became the most successful European manufacturer in the history of Grand Prix racing with a 300th victory.
"So sorry, but I cannot believe it," Fernandez said. "The team always believed in me. They never stopped supporting me. So it is the consequence of hard work.
"So thanks to them, of course, we have a really good pace.
"We know that on this kind of track, you need to manage the tyres very well, and I tried to because at the end we knew that it was very difficult to manage. That is what I did, especially in the last five laps. It was a super long race for me."
Acosta, Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio traded places in a fierce contest before VR46 Racing's Di Giannantonio managed to clinch second place, with Bezzecchi completing the podium after his remarkable recovery.
"It was a super tough race," Bezzecchi said. "With the penalty, everything was more complicated, but my strategy worked perfectly, because I wanted to make the perfect start and try to push at the beginning.
"I had a bit of a gap when I took the penalty, so I'm super happy. I did not imagine a podium with the penalty."
Quartararo endured a torrid race, dropping down the order to finish a disappointing 11th.
It was all heartbreak for local hope Jack Miller as the Australian crashed out of podium contention while running in sixth place. Two-times MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia also saw his weekend end in frustration, retiring after a crash with four laps remaining.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
