Cal Crutchlow has won the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island - his second victory of the season, but first in the dry - after holding off Valentino Rossi, who charged from 15th on the grid to second place.

Maverick Vinales claimed the final podium place, from 13th on grid, after winning a battle with Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso. Espargaro fell in the closing stages.

Pole sitter and newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez has swiftly pulled a comfortable lead - only to lose the front and fall just before the midway stage.


That gave Crutchlow with a 1.9s lead over Rossi, which the Englishman would build to over five seconds.

Nicky Hayden was making his second MotoGP appearance of the season - this time returning to the Repsol Honda team with which he won the 2006 world championship, as a replacement for the injured Dani Pedrosa. Hayden fell after contact with Jack Miller late in the race.

Hector Barbera was riding for the factory Ducati team in place of the injured Andrea Iannone for the second week in succession, with 2015 Australian SBK champion Mike Jones in-turn keeping the Avintia seat for his home race...

1. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 40m 48.543s
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 40m 52.761s
3. Maverick Viņales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 40m 53.852s
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 40m 57.700s
5. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 41m 2.842s
6. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 41m 8.668s
7. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 41m 16.912s
8. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 41m 17.324s
9. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 41m 17.335s
10. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 41m 17.358s
11. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 41m 20.352s
12. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 41m 36.277s
13. Yonny Hernandez COL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 41m 36.292s
14. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 41m 42.854s
15. Mike Jones AUS Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 41m 44.418s
16. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 41m 54.938s
17. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 42m 11.147s
Hector Barbera ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) DNF
Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) DNF
Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) DNF
Loris Baz FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) DNF