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2013 MotoGP: Marquez Disqualified, Lorenzo Wins, Drama Mounts

Nerve-racking race at Phillip Island in Australia, 3 rounds to go until the end of the championship and Jorge Lorenzo clinching a critical victory in his battle for the 2013 season.
Jorge Lorenzo receives unexpected 25 point present as Marquez is discualified 12 photos
Photo: MotoGP.com
Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Casey StonerLorenzo 50th victoryWayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner lap of honorMarquez swapping bikesJorge LorenzoJorge Lorenzo2013 Phillip Island50th victory for LorenzoJorge Lorenzo swapping bikesValentino Rossi chased by Alvaro BautistaLorenzo and Rossi
As the Mallorcan had a very good start and made no mistakes, it was Marquez and his team who helped Lorenzo close the rather wide gap and sit now 18 points behind the rookie. Marquez was disqualified for running one extra lap over the maximum 10 he could do with a set of tires.

It was the first time in MotoGP history when bikes had to be swapped in a dry race, but the safety concern was simply too big. The new track surface at Phillip Island was eating even through the harder compound tires, and Bridgestone said that no more than 10 laps are safe with one set.

Marquez' team said they got the Race Direction's order wrong but to no avail, as the rookie was disqualified. To add even more drama to the race, as Marquez exited the pit lane, he an Lorenzo also made contact, but with no further consequences.

The young rider out, the ones behind him have all jumped a step up, with Pedrosa and Rossi second and third, respectively, followed by Crutchlow and Bautista for the top 5. Ducati's Hayden, Iannone and Dovizioso also scored nice, as they followed Bradley Smith who finished 6th.

Randy de Puniet got the better for Aleix Espargaro for the 10th position, but the Spaniard's points were more than enough to secure him the CRT title, already.

Cardion AB's Luca Scassa got one step closer to his first point in this season as a replacement for Karel Abraham.

Up next MotoGP will be at Motegi, Japan the end of this very week, and we're definitely in for quite some hot action, as the title is still a 3-rider affair, with both Lorenzo and Pedrosa able to win the series, from a mathematical point of view. Marquez has 298 points, Lorenzo 280, Pedrosa 264, while Rossi extended his 4th place lead from Crutchlow: 214 points against 179.
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