Moto GP: Spaniard Marc Marquez wins Australian Grand Prix in an epic duel with Martin

(With information from AFP) Spain's six-time world champion Marc Marquez won the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday. Marquez took home the title after an intense battle with Jorge Martín, who increased his lead at the top of the championship ahead of Italian Francesco Bagnaia, who came in third.

The two Spaniards dominated the race in a fierce fight that ended in Marquez’s favor (Ducati-Gresini), who crossed the finish line almost a second ahead of Martin (Ducati-Pramac).

Marquez got off to a terrible start. One of his plastic visor protectors got under his rear wheel, causing him to skid. He recovered but Martin got ahead of him with four laps to go to take his fourth victory at Phillip Island.

Due to the incident, he was passed by several riders and found himself in seventh place at the end of the first lap, while Martin, who started from pole position, took the lead, followed by Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati VR46) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

The world championship leader soon extended his when with Bezzecchi crashed behind him.

However, as he had done the day before in the race won by Martin, Marquez made a relentless comeback. He made it into third position after seven laps behind Bagnaia, whom he quickly attacked.

The three riders then engaged in a fierce battle, and their competitors quickly fell behind by almost four seconds. However, the Italian gradually fell off the pace and left the two Spaniards in the fight.

With four laps to go, Márquez took the lead for the first time in the race.

Martin snatched it back on the next lap, but Marquez regained it almost immediately to take his third win of the season.

After the initial incident, "I thought it would be impossible to catch Martin, but I quickly overtook several riders trying not to use the rear tire too much," said Marquez, celebrating the win at the finish line.

Martin, cautious at Phillip Island

The championship is pretty much between Martín and Bagnaia but Márquez's victory gave him the chance to make a comeback. 

However, with 79 points down, it will be difficult for him to sneak into title contention.

The circuit moves on next weekend to Thailand, before heading to Malaysia and the season finale in Valencia.

Martin is now 20 points ahead of Bagnaia with three rounds remaining.

Martin, from Madrid, did not seem too disappointed.

"It was a difficult race and there was a lot of wind. But when I was overtaken by Pecco (Bagnaia) I increased the pace. Then I fought with Márquez. He had nothing to lose and I didn't want to take too many risks," confesses the Pramac rider, who keeps his eyes fixed on his first MotoGP title.

But Bagnaia doesn't see it that way and stressed on Sunday that the next two races will take place at his favorite tracks (Thailand and Malaysia) before the finale in Valencia, Spain. 

"They did a better job than us," he said Sunday after the Australian race.

Young Spanish prodigy Pedro Acosta (GasGas-Tech3) had to withdraw from the race after injuring his shoulder in a crash the day before.