Once again, Phillip Island served up an awesome, ticking timebomb of a race, with the leaders swapping places throughout but really only waiting for the final few laps – time to pull the pin and unleash hell.
The first Australian Grand Prix since 2019 was the first real tyre-management race since the start of the following year, when Michelin introduced its longer-lasting rear slick. So it was no coincidence that Suzuki’s GSX-RR, which is so good at saving its tyres, came out on top on Sunday. This was perfect timing too – just three weeks before Suzuki parks its GSX-RRs for the last time and closes the doors on its MotoGP project.
Álex Rins knew this was his time, his first chance in two years to make the most of the GSX-RR’s strong points to take his fourth MotoGP victory. The 26-year-old Spaniard used his bike’s tyre-saving character and corner-speed advantage through Phillip Island’s fabulous fast and flowing curves to beat comeback hero Marc Márquez by less than two-tenths of a second. It was the victory which many believe Andrea Iannone should’ve achieved on the GSX-RR in the 2018 Australian GP.
