Threats of extreme winds, which ultimately came to pass on Sunday and forced the sprint to be abandoned, forced MotoGP to bring the Australian Grand Prix forward to Saturday. But it proved a memorable one for a paddock stalwart who celebrated his long-awaited maiden win.
Since making his MotoGP debut in 2017, 119 grand prix events have passed without Johann Zarco – a rider brimming with promise when he stepped up as double Moto2 world champion – winning a grand prix. That changed on start 120 in brilliant fashion, as he preserved his rear tyre to come through to snatch the win from Pramac team-mate Jorge Martin on the last lap. It’s a victory that could well have a big bearing on the outcome of the title, but that is of little concern to Zarco.
