MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 13 / OCTOBER 18, 2015
PHILLIP ISLAND / PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
P72
before the first corner, a pattern that would
be repeated also with other riders. Boy that
Ducati is fast: 216 mph the best, in free prac-
tice, 6.2 mph faster than Marquez's best, and
8.6 mph than Lorenzo.
Rossi was on the move by lap three, past
first Pedrosa and next time Crutchlow, who
had gotten ahead of the factory Honda.
Rossi was still close, and next time around
he passed Marquez for the first time, though
shortly afterwards Iannone was ahead of both
again.
MOTO3: OLIVEIRA AND THE DEMOLITION DERBY
Circumstances somewhat broke
up Phillip Island's usual huge group
of leaders in the smallest class, and
the same circumstances meant that
the still-close finish (five over the line
within three-tenths) wasn't the only cli-
max to a typically thrilling race, rich in
tactics, variety, and breakneck daring.
The first came on lap 14, in the
middle of a close pursuit pack. Run-
away points leader Danny Kent was
making his way back through after
having been put off the track four laps
before by crashing with early leader
Pecco Bagnaia.
He'd had another tangle with his
last apparent title rival Enea Bastianini
in the process, now he moved inside
Motegi winner Niccolo Antonelli to re-
gain sixth. But Antonelli was commit-
ted to his line, his front wheel touched
the rear of Kent, and the Englishman
went flying. As he slumped in the
gravel, he didn't realize that Bas-
tianini had also been brought down
in the same crash, later blaming Kent
directly for the cause of it.
The second climax was the finish.
First-time pole starter John McPhee
had crashed out early, but with three
more fast Hondas also gone, there still
wasn't much room to move up front.
Brad Binder had several laps up
front before running wide and team-
mate Miguel Oliveira was there to take
over, interrupted by Romano Fenati,
once over the line by Jakub Kornfeil
and elsewhere by Jorge Navarro.
On the last lap, Oliveira took
control and, in the final scramble,
Efren Vazquez squeezed second from
Binder and Navarro, Kornfeil mere
feet behind.
Fenati had lost touch in sixth.
Philipp Oettl shaded Isaac Vinales
and Alexis Masbou, survivors of the
pursuit pack.
Remy Gardner had the ride of his
