Sparks flew at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend at Philip Island as Marc Marquez snatched the title from favourites Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, and Andrea Iannone, in what could only be described as an incredibly thrilling bout.

The 22-year-old Spaniard and reigning Moto GP champion won his fifth race of the year thanks to a near-perfect final lap that saw him overtake Lorenzo on the course’s final turn. Just 0.249 seconds separated the pair, and now there’s a mere 11 points splitting the Yamaha riders.

The result is welcome news for Marquez, whose recent outings to Phillip Island have been marked with failure. In 2014 the racer crashed out while in first place, and in 2013 was disqualified for failing to change bikes before lap 11, thus missing his pit window. This time was different though, and a lightning-fast track record of 1:29:280 was set by the rider in the final lap, signalling to fans and pundits alike that lessons had been learned and skills had been honed.

“I didn’t expect to overtake Jorge but I’m really happy with this victory because we’ve pushed really hard,” Marquez said.

In Moto3, British rider Danny Kent is looking forward to a likely grand prix win, despite a tumultuous crash on Sunday’s race that afforded Miguel Oliveira the top spot. 40 points now separate the pair, although if Kent comes in above sixth place in Malaysia, he will secure the title before the final clash in Spain.

Finally, in Moto2, Spain’s Alex Rins has won the second race of his debut season. France’s Johann Zarco has already claimed the season title.