MotoGP riders hail Australian GP as the best race of the modern era
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo believe last weekend's Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island was the best race of MotoGP's modern era
The pair, along with Ducati's Andrea Iannone and Lorenzo's Yamaha team-mate and championship leader Valentino Rossi, were embroiled in a race-long battle in which the lead changed hands 13 times in 27 laps, and there were countless more passes for the podium positions.
Marquez eventually prevailed to take the 50th grand prix win of his career after diving up the inside of Lorenzo at MG corner on the last lap, a move made all the more remarkable given that the Honda rider had started the final tour in third.
In their wake, Iannone - who had earlier passed Rossi and Marquez in a single move - outmanoevred Rossi on the last lap to snatch the final podium place as the quartet crossed the line covered by just one second.
"When I look at the Moto3 race I [normally] say 'I want to be there!'" said Marquez.
"But this race was one of the best in MotoGP in my career.
"It was 27 laps [but] when I checked the board it was just five laps remaining - I enjoyed it a lot.
"Fifty victories are a lot and for me every victory is special but to get the 50th victory with this kind of race is even is more special."
Despite missing out on the win, compatriot Lorenzo spoke of the pair's battle with equal pleasure, and agreed it had been reminiscent of the traditionally more wild lower categories rather than the top class.
"[It was] one of the hardest races in my life - especially at the beginning because Andrea always overtook me on the straight," he said.
"I was trying everything in the last sector to get a little advantage but he always passed me; [it] was very difficult to be patient and to wait for the opportunity, for him to make some little mistake to overtake him again.
"With Marc, [it was] very hard to keep pace and in the last laps I gave everything I have.
"It reminds me a little bit of the old times of 125cc when I gave everything in the last laps.
"For the people watching, this was the best this year and probably the best in the last five, 10 years."
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