Phillip Island Was The Race Of The Century MotoGP Photo Gallery

Phillip Island always plays host to one of the greatest races on the MotoGP calendar. The fast, flowing layout perched over the Bass Strait appears stamped on the edge of the world, the perfect backdrop for the promise of unmatched on-track action.

This year, the lead group of seven riders changed positions an astounding 73 times over the course of the race for a spectacle that will go down in history as an all-time classic. Marc Marquez came out on top, the cracked tailpiece of his Honda RC213V a testament to the heat of competition.

Valentino Rossi, who made 18 passes on his way to a second-place finish, was painted with black rubber marks on the left side of his leathers. The racing was that close. To the riders, it was all good fun.

“That’s the game; if you want to play, it’s like that,” a beaming Rossi said after the race. “If you don’t want it, you should stay at home.” Who could ever doubt that MotoGP is the greatest sport in the world?