ITALIAN Valentino Rossi took his second win of 2014 at Phillip Island on Sunday with Jorge Lorenzo in second, while Bradley Smith finished on the podium for the first time in his MotoGP career.
2014 MotoGP champion Marc Marquez crashed out while leading. The Repsol Honda Team faced more disappointment as Dani Pedrosa was forced to retire after an incident with Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone.
Although Rossi started from eighth on the grid, the Italian was able to take advantage of both Repsol Honda riders’ races ending prematurely, along with several other crashes including Iannone and Stefan Bradl.
Movistar Yamaha’s Lorenzo finished in second despite a fading pace due to issues with the left side of a tyre. However, Lorenzo only took second when Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow crashed out on the last lap.
Brit Bradley Smith took the chequered flag in third, his first ever MotoGP podium. His teammate and rookie Pol Espargaro crashed out after losing the front while reeling Lorenzo in.
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso finished in fourth and Hector Barbera in fifth, with GO&FUN Gresini teammates Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding in sixth and seventh respectively.
LCR Honda’s Bradl collided with the rear end of Aleix Espargaro’s NGM Forward Racing Yamaha. Although Bradl crashed unhurt, Espargaro was forced to stop shortly after due to bike damage.
Race Direction made a decision after the race to give Bradl one penalty point due to the collision at turn four. However, Bradl was not the only one to receive a penalty point. Regardless of finishing on the podium, Smith received a penalty point for overtaking under yellow flags after Marquez crashed.
The incident involving Iannone and Pedrosa is currently under review.
Race results:
1. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 40:46.405
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 40:57.241 (+10.836)
3. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 40:58.699 (+12.294)
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team 41:1.298 (+14.893)
5. Hector Barbera* ESP Avintia Racing 41:16.494 (+30.089)
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini 41:16.559 (+30.154)
7. Scott Redding* GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini 41:16.563 (+30.158)
8. Hiroshi Aoyama* JPN Drive M7 Aspar 41:19.571 (+33.166)
9. Alex De Angelis* RSM NGM Forward Racing 41:19.982 (+33.577)
10. Nicky Hayden* USA Drive M7 Aspar 41:20.549 (+34.144)
11. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing 41:25.873 (+39.468)
12. Danilo Petrucci* ITA IodaRacing Project 41:43.089 (+56.684)
13. Michael Laverty* GBR Paul Bird Motorsport 41:59.218 (+1:12.813)
14. Mike Di Meglio* FRA Avintia Racing 42:14.455 (+1:28.050)
DNF. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team
DNF. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3
DNF. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Forward Racing
DNF. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP
DNF. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team
DNF. Broc Parkes AUS Paul Bird Motorsport
DNF. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team
DNF. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing
DNF. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing
