Australian Grand Prix win keeps Jorge Lorenzo in reach of title

CRAZY and chaotic. That's how Jorge Lorenzo summed up his Australian Grand Prix victory yesterday.

CRAZY and chaotic. That's how Jorge Lorenzo summed up his Australian Grand Prix victory yesterday - his first in MotoGP at Phillip Island and one that has put him back within arm's reach of the 2013 title.

And it wasn't without its fair share of controversy.

Marc Marquez, the man who was expected to snatch the MotoGP crown out of Lorenzo's hands at Phillip Island, was sensationally disqualified with just five laps left.

The 20-year-old championship leader failed to make a mandatory pitstop and change bikes within the required two-lap window - up until which time he'd been hot on the heels of Lorenzo.

Australians Bryan Staring and Damian Cudlin were also excluded for the same reason.

Organisers had, for the first time in MotoGP history, ordered all riders to change machinery before the end of lap 10 because of fears their rear tyres wouldn't last beyond that.

They also had to cut short the 27-lap race to just 19 after tyre provider Bridgestone embarrassingly admitted the island's new tarmac was wreaking havoc on its rubber.

Lorenzo predicted mayhem in the pit lane as a result of the new format - and he got it.

"A crazy, chaotic race. I was so fast, the track was really, really quick. But also Marc and Dani (Pedrosa) were very fast so I couldn't open the gap I wanted.

"We've been very lucky today, because obviously without the mistake from Marc he was going to finish in second or third. This mistake happened from him and now our possibilities (of winning the championship) have increased to 25-30 per cent when it was 1 per cent or 2 per cent."

Having dominated practice and qualifying, the reigning MotoGP champion started on pole and led throughout to clinch his 29th career victory.

He was followed over the line by Pedrosa in second and Valentino Rossi in third.

Marquez had held a 43-point lead over Lorenzo heading into the third-last round of the season.

Had he outscored his nearest rival, he would have become the youngest ever MotoGP champion and first rookie to win the title in 35 years.

Instead, his points-less race and Lorenzo's win has narrowed the gap to just 18 points, forcing Marquez to wait until next week's Japanese GP for another crack.

AAP