Márquez wins Australian sprint, takes 10-point lead

Marc Márquez won the 13-lap Australian Grand Prix sprint at Phillip Island on Saturday, beating his brother Alex by 0.323 seconds and moving 10 points ahead in the MotoGP championship after rival Jorge Martín crashed out. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished third. The sprint result gave Márquez 365 championship points to Martín’s 355, while Marco Bezzecchi remained third with 315. Márquez started from pole position and led early, but Martín moved from fourth on the grid to second and repeatedly challenged for the lead. The two riders exchanged places during a close contest through the opening laps. Martín’s race ended on lap eight when he crashed while chasing Márquez and was taken from the track on a stretcher. Márquez then held off Alex Márquez to secure the win. The sprint was run on a dry track after rain earlier in the day. MotoGP said Martín fractured his right wrist and was declared unfit for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. His participation in the following week’s Malaysian Grand Prix was described as doubtful, but no withdrawal from that event had been confirmed. Martín’s absence from Sunday’s race means he cannot immediately answer Márquez’s points gain on track. Márquez...