France's Johann Zarco won the Australian MotoGP GP, scoring the first success of his career in the premier class of the world championship, on Saturday.

ROME, OCT 21 - France's Johann Zarco won the Australian MotoGP GP, scoring the first success of his career in the premier class of the world championship, on Saturday.

Second place went to Italy's reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who extended his lead to 27 points in the world standings over Spaniard Jorge Martin, who finished fifth after leading the race for a long time, due to tire degradation. 

A third place for Fabio Di Giannatonio completed the Ducati hat-trick.  

"Better late than never," Zarco said. Bagnaia said he was "over the moon", adding "I knew the medium tire was the right choice".

Martin, on the other hand, was disappointed and paid for the choice of a soft tire: "We did what we thought was right, maybe someone should have told me no". photo: Bagnaia