Marc Marquez takes another step towards title as he wins Australian MotoGP

Marc Marquez took a giant step toward retaining his MotoGP world title when he won the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his championship lead to 33 points with just two rounds remaining.

Starting from pole position, the Spanish Honda rider took the race lead with seven laps remaining, then accelerated away from the field to win comfortably by 1.8 seconds from Italy’s Valentino Rossi and his Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales.

Marquez’s only remaining rival for the world championship, Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso, finished 13th on his Ducati to see his title hopes all but evaporate.

Already a three-time MotoGP champion, Marquez, 24, has now won six races this season and can clinch his fourth world title with a top-two finish in either of the remaining two races.

“Amazing, amazing. I knew before the race that today was an important day,” said Marquez, who crashed out while leading last year’s Australian MotoGP.

“I was feeling really good and during the race I was just waiting, waiting, waiting and then in the last few laps I give all-in.