Factory Suzuki MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone said that he really enjoyed his battle at Phillip Island, despite not converting his weekend pace into his first victory with Suzuki.

The Italian was the fastest man through free practice and many believed he had the pace to fight for the victory around the Australian circuit. Unfortunately for Iannone he made a big mistake at turn four hunting Vinales who was escaping out front and couldn’t ever mount a serious challenge, despite a late charge.

“First of all I am really happy because we make a really good weekend,” said ‘the Maniac’.

“We started really well, we worked on the good way in every practice and we improved a little bit and this is the most important.

“I arrive on the race with a really strong feeling, we have a really good potential to try and win the race. But when I made a mistake on the corner four, I arrived a little bit long with high speed so I lose four or five positions.

“I start to recover, so in this moment I think this is not a really good situation. I tried to recover it but I felt the tyre start to drop a little bit more than I expect. So I decided to remain in this group, control my tyres the best and at the end I think it’s the best situation.

“I have a little bit more in the last four laps, I tried to push at one hundred percent, I improved but also on the last lap I arrive another time on corner four and made a mistake and so Dovi for nothing not overtake me.

“But it’s a really great fight with Vale and both Ducati’s, Marc and Zarco it’s a difficult race, but at the end second place I am happy.”

Iannone had a front row seat for Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco’s big crash. Zarco hit the rear end of the World Champions RC213V, forcing his M1 to fly though the air, with the Frenchman bouncing through the gravel. Marquez managed to stay on, but his bike suffered significant damage to the rear and seat unit. Thankfully both riders were okay, but Marquez was forced to retire due to the damage sustained to his bike.

Iannone was right behind the crash and said: “It was really scary. In this point we are really fast. When I see the bike of Johann go on the Honda I know it’s a really big, big crash.

“So I think I brake really strong so I don’t have contact with the Yamaha of Johann. So I’m really like, as I am really close. I don’t know why it happened, as I haven’t seen the crash on television.

“But in any case I am really happy, but also Marc and Johann are okay. So I think this situation, possibly could’ve gone in a different way, but today we are happy.”