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Phillip Island MotoGP race day
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12 laps to go and Vinales leads Marquez, Crutchlow, Rossi, Rins, Dovizioso, Miller, Bagnaia, Iannone and Espargaro.
It was here three years ago that the seeds of a Marquez/Vinales rivalry were planted when the former upset Vinales during a race run in pre-season testing. The pair locked horns earlier this year at Assen for the win. Are we about to see a proper ding dong now?
Marquez just a tenth behind Vinales over the line to start lap 15. Crutchlow's charge looks over.
Lorenzo currently out the points again, and is 20 seconds behind Zarco.
Zarco check - he's in 13th at the moment and is chasing down Morbidelli for 12th.
In saying that, Marquez has been able to close in again on the run to Turn 4.
Stopwatch
Vinales is starting to ask some big questions of Marquez. He's just set a 1m29.3s and is pulling a bit of a gap.
Rins heads that second group now, but he's 2.1s behind now.
Crutchlow marginally faster than the top two last time around. We are now on lap 13.
Rossi on the move again. He's up to fifth as the Aprilia's are now finally just starting to fade.
Crutchlow does have the pace of the leaders here and is cutting that gap again.
Vinales, Marquez and Crutchlow have really pulled away from the second group headed by Iannone now.
Half a second splits the top two from Crutchlow, the top three upping the pace to a 1m29.4s.
The top two are both on the soft rear remember, but Marquez does have the harder front tyre. So let's see how that affects things in the closing stages.
Stopwatch
1m29.715s from Vinales. Both he and Marquez have broken away slightly on lap 11.
Marquez barges through on Crutchlow at Turn 9. Marquez doesn't want Vinales to escape.
Vinales squeezes through on Crutchlow at Turn 4, using the superior corner speed of his soft-shod Yamaha to mount that challenge through Turn 3.
The two Aprilia's are so far proving their early pace was no fluke. Both Iannone and Espargaro are still in the mix here.
Vianles takes second from Marquez at Turn 10.
Replay from the Turn 2 lap one incident shows Marquez have Petrucci a slight nudge. Quartararo also had a rear moment, which sent him wide.
Crutchlow holds the lead as we start lap nine.
How good is MotoGP?
Vinales takes third from Iannone at Turn 4 on lap eight.
Rossi loses another spot to Dovi. He's eighth now having led briefly. Miller lurking behind on his Pramac bike with a one-off livery for this race.
Further back, LCR stand-in Zarco is running 14th ahead of his KTM replacement Mika Kallio.
Marquez eases past Iannone on the straight into Turn 1 for second. Crutchlow has a slight margin at the front.
This is a lead group of nine covered by just over a second. Crutchlow leads it from Iannone, Marquez, Vinales, Espargaro, Rossi, Rins, Dovi, Miller. Onto lap seven.
Iannone gets through on Marquez at Turn 4 for second. This was not in the script at all!
Aleix Espargaro attacks Rossi at Turn 1 and makes that move stick. That's fifth for the second Aprilia.
Aprilia has never been in this position in a MotoGP race, and this is a showing we have never seen from Iannone this year. Sensational action at Phillip Island as we head onto lap six.
Marquez carves through on Iannone at Turn 4 for second. Vinales now top Yamaha in fourth.
Rossi out wide at the Souther Loop and Marquez takes him for third.
But Crutchlow just blitzes Iannone on the straight.
Iannone got passed Crutchlow at MG corner and leads onto lap five. Vinales past Marquez at Turn 11.
Iannone leads!
Onto lap four and Crutchlow leads into Turn 1, while Iannone goes through on Rossi at the Southern Loop.
Vinales cuts through on Espargaro at MG corner, while Iannone takes third back from Marquez.
Marquez comes through on Iannone at Turn 4 on lap three.
Replay shows Quartararo was already running wide and was wiped out by Petrucci himself, who highsided behind having also ran wide.
Rossi making good use of that soft rear rubber early on. He has a three-tenth advantage over Crutchlow. Amazing job from Iannone on lap one to run third. Onto lap two.
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
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