Shop
The two riders were scrapping over fifth place with two laps to go when they came together at speed at the end of the long Gardner Straight.
Vinales has slipstreamed past Bezzecchi on the approach to Turn 1, Bezzecchi then losing control of his Ducati ad clattering into the back of the Aprilia.
Both riders were sent tumbling through the gravel trap, the pair thankfully looking to have escaped any serious injury.
😱😱😱
THAT WAS HUGEEEEE
📺 Watch the #AustralianGP on channel 506 via @kayosports https://t.co/AwHlb9dt5r
📲 RACE CENTRE https://t.co/CCdaBta3ne#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/x49O0kQi8N— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 19, 2024
There were no such dramas for Martin, who dominated all 13 laps to claim victory.
There was a small reprieve for the pole starter when Marc Marquez ran wide at Turn 1 at the start and dropped back down to eighth place.
While Marquez fought his way back through the field, Martin was able to control the race from the front.
“I’m really happy,” said Martin. “I thought it was going to be much more difficult with Marc really close behind me. But I don’t know what happened in the first few laps, I saw I was increasing the gaps.
“I was trying to keep a really fast pace and when I saw I had a big gap already I managed a bit to make it to the end.”
Marquez did work his way back to second while Enea Bastianini worked his way from 10th on the grid to third, passing teammate Francesco Bagnaia who could manage just fourth.
Fabio Di Giannantonio inherited fifth after the Bezzecchi/Vinales crash ahead of Franco Morbidelli, Raul Fernandez, Aleix Espargaro, Augusto Fernandez and Luca Marini.
Jack Miller was fighting for a Top 10 spot but crashed out of the race with a handful of laps to go.
Johann Zarco, Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder also crashed out of the Sprint.
