PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia :Raul Fernandez delivered a dominant performance to claim his maiden MotoGP victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing a first-ever triumph for Trackhouse Racing in the premier class.
Sprint-winner Marco Bezzecchi, who began second on the grid, made an electric start to snatch the lead from pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo before the first corner. The Italian's rapid getaway also allowed Fernandez and Pedro Acosta to overtake Quartararo, who had set a record-breaking lap in Saturday's qualifying.
However, Bezzecchi charge was short-lived, as he had to serve a double long lap penalty for his collision with newly-crowned MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Aprilia rider served his penalty and fought his way back to an impressive third-place finish.
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Fernandez capitalised on Bezzecchi's setback to take the lead, and once he found himself with clear track ahead, the 24-year-old Spaniard was untouchable.
Fernandez's triumph marked a milestone for Aprilia, as they became the most successful European manufacturer in the history of Grand Prix racing with a 300th victory.
"So sorry, but I cannot believe it," Fernandez said. "The team always believed in me. They never stopped supporting me. So it is the consequence of hard work.
"So thanks to them, of course, we have a really good pace.
"We know that on this kind of track, you need to manage the tyres very well, and I tried to because at the end we knew that it was very difficult to manage. That is what I did, especially in the last five laps. It was a super long race for me."
Acosta, Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio traded places in a fierce contest
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