00:00Augusto Fernandes and Alex Rins, and completing our grid of 20 is Fabio Quattararo and Frankie Morbidelli, Luca Mourini withdrew
00:07due to illness.
00:08...within one and a half seconds of the number 93. Green flag then has cleared at the back. It is.
00:14Lights out. And we're racing in the sprint here for the final time at Philippe Island.
00:19Brilliant start from that pole position by the reigning world champion Mark Marquez. Here comes Jorge Martino. Brilliant. What an
00:25aggressive start that is by Mark.
00:27Front wheel going through the southern loop. What a start this has been though by Martin, the world champion leader.
00:32Contrasting starts for the two factory crews. Now I'm pretty sure Marco Betzecchi has lost places on this first lap.
00:37It's Alex Marquez third ahead of Johan.
00:39Zarco Betzecchi is down one to tenth place.
00:41Mark was hoping for some favours from Alex for his brother potentially being a wingman and now Alex might be
00:46going further backwards.
00:47Zarco trying to show him his front wheel down the hill into Tertegui. It was indeed Binder taking seventh away.
00:51Has he got the move on Mark? No, not quite close enough.
00:54Alex Marquez picks off Zarco just behind our top two. So Alex send his muscles his way back into the
01:00podium places.
01:01Keep a close eye on Pedro Acosta too. He's made some early progress up in 250. He's crucially cleared Jack
01:06Miller and Ralph Fernandes on this first lap.
01:08If he can get through on Zarco too, then he can also be a factor.
01:12Dreadful. Dreadful first lap for Marco Betzecchi is a good start to the second lap for Zarco.
01:19Tried to toughen it out with Acosta on the brakes into turn four. And Alex Marquez now looking like he's
01:24settled things down.
01:25Looks like he's cleared Zarco at this stage and he's now having a top at Jorge Martín.
01:29And that would certainly sweep over nearly 250 clubs an hour through turn eight. Now they'll hang it left as
01:34well through nine.
01:35This is Lukey Haidt's March final. Couple of left-handers and just look at the stick stream. This is all
01:40happening at close to 360 comers an hour.
01:44And once again, Jorge Martín. How brave was that? How many times has somebody passed Mark Marquez on that run
01:52down to the Duan corner in the Spaniards career?
01:54He's wide, though, at the southern loop. So, immediately, he hands the initiative back to Mark.
02:00Shows how on the limit Jorge Martín is. He keeps landing haymakers on Mark Marquez but almost punching himself out
02:06in this bridge.
02:07Surely he's going to attack again if he's got half a chance into middle corner. Mark Marquez taking a slightly
02:11defensive line that time, recognizing the danger.
02:15I'd say more than slightly. I mean, Mark was parking that again. Surely there's another move coming on the brakes
02:19in the Duan corner.
02:20They need to be slightly careful here, though. They're focusing on it. He needed a 27-4.
02:24As low as 12th on the first lap. He's now back up inside the top six. That is Bez. He's
02:28only half a second, actually, behind Pedro Acosta.
02:31And Bessecchi is himself, now, firmly in the mid-127s.
02:35Acosta's been passed by Fabio Gian Antonio, now. I was watching how the coverage books win.
02:38The rear tyre at the 93. You can see Marquez, they're asking for the power. Big squirm of that rear
02:43tyre underneath. It's Patrick Ducati.
02:45Is Martín close, not fixed time, to a pound. He's in the slipstream of 350 comers now.
02:49The two top talents in MotoGP this year. Two titans pushing each other to their absolute maximum. You can't discount
02:56Alex here, can you, as well?
02:58Alex Marquez, there's Martín on the inside with the ultimate block pass. Classic block pass. He just picks up Mark
03:04Marquez.
03:05Wow. And now Alex Marquez firmly in the hunt for what looked like a really outside chance of winning the
03:12sprint. Out of nowhere, Alex back in the game.
03:13They go middle here. This is some serious psychological injury problems over the last couple of years or so, particularly
03:19the last 18 months.
03:21Let's hope that that's just a bit of a precaution there and that Jorge Martín is not going to see
03:25his world title hopes ended by that high-speed crash.
03:29I mean, that's one of the fastest crashes you can have around Philippe Ireland. Tapped him, Mark Marquez, as you
03:35just know he wouldn't do.
03:36He's got granite between the ears. He's never looked like, did he, cracking under any kind of pressure from Martín
03:42behind.
03:42And this is Betsechi himself in the championship game.
03:46Betsechi's the fastest rider on track by a mile at the moment. He just did a 1.27, 3.99.
03:51That was half a second quicker than the Marquez brothers.
03:54He's 1.6 behind with three to go. Another stunning sprint Saturday, doesn't it, for Mark Marquez.
04:00You can hang on to this near half a second lead over brother Alex.
04:05Six, seven, and eight. And at the moment, the final point has been taken by Icat Lacuona,
04:10who is having a fine Saturday afternoon on the second Crescini Ducati.
04:13So here we go then, Mark Marquez over the line and he starts the last lap of the last ever
04:19sprint here in Philippe Ireland.
04:21The third and final sprint to take place here at this magnificent through turn eight.
04:26Power sliding to Ducati now, he goes through turn three. The stoner corner, Alex Marquez.
04:32Got a 1.27.6 performance by the reigning world champion.
04:37It looks like his final Saturday Grand Prix action here at his beloved Philippe Ireland in Australia.
04:44He's already a four times winner here, isn't he?
04:46In mother GP, through the final corner. He's going to be our last ever Philippe Ireland pole sitter.
04:52He's going to be our last ever Philippe Ireland sprint winner.
04:55And it's a crucial, crucial record. 24 sprint victory for reigning world champion.
