Marquez crashes out of Australian Grand Prix

THERE was drama for the Repsol Honda Team at Phillip Island as neither Marc Marquez nor Dani Pedrosa completed the race on Sunday.

Marquez has already been crowned the 2014 MotoGP world champion and has nothing to lose - however crashing out of the race probably wasn’t the plan.  

The young Spaniard fought hard to get past Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo to take the lead and managed to push this to a four second lead.

Ten laps remained, but as the double MotoGP world champion entered Lukey Heights he lost the front slid across the tarmac and onto the grass, unable to remount. 

Speaking at Phillip Island, Marquez said: 'Today the problem was I try to do a different kind of race, I was pushing a lot from the beginning and I was able to open a big gap.

'When I saw the temperature was colder I started to be a little bit slower, just 0.5s, because I was careful on the right corners but the tyre getting colder and colder, and like everyone, we crash completely straight, locked the front.'

A baffled Marquez tried to explain his crash: 'I don’t know what happened exactly because we check on data the same speed, same brake pressure, everything same but OK we know for next year but of course today I try a different race and that can happen when you ride without pressure.'

Pedrosa was forced to retire after Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone collided with the rear of the Repsol Honda at turn four. The crash damaged Pedrosa's rear wheel rim and so the Spaniard had to retire.  

The last time the Repsol Honda Team had a double DNF was four years ago in Portugal.

Pedrosa now has to chase for second place in the championship as he sits in fourth with 230 points. Valentino Rossi, who is currently second, has 255-points.