( CNN ) -- Valentino Rossi celebrated his 250th MotoGP with a memorable victory at the Australian Grand Prix Sunday -- taking full advantage after 2014 champion Marc Marquez crashed out . Yamaha 's Rossi took control at Phillip Island when Marquez went off on his Honda at the Lukey Heights turn at Phillip Island with 10 laps remaining . Spain 's Marquez , who wrapped up a second straight title in Japan last weekend , was looking set for his 12th win of the season . But after his error and with a substantial four second lead , he still needs one more to equal Australian Mick Doohan 's all-time record from the 1997 season . `` As I had no pressure on me I tried a different approach , pushing hard from the start to try to open the largest gap possible , '' Marquez later admitted . `` We were having a good race , right up until the crash . It was a pity that I went down at a time that I was not riding on the limit or faster than the lap before . '' The 35-year-old Rossi has virtually ever other MotoGP record in his possession and victory was his 82nd at motorcycling 's highest level and second of the season . `` When I saw Marc crash it was a surprise , and to finish first at Phillip Island after my last victory here in 2005 is a great achievement , '' Rossi told the official MotoGP website . `` I love this track and I 've won the two most important world championships of my career in 2001 and 2004 . `` I won again here in 2005 but I have done a lot of podiums since then and never won . '' His teammate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain took second place -- over 10 seconds adrift -- with promising young British rider Bradley Smith in third , his first podium in MotoGP . Smith 's compatriot Cal Crutchlow looked set for his best finish of the season for Ducati , but he crashed out when lying second on the final lap . Crutchlow 's teammate Andrea Dovizioso finished fourth . It meant a first all-Yamaha podium for the first time since the Le Mans race of 2008 . Marquez 's Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was one of nine riders who either crashed out or failed to finish an incident-packed race and the Spaniard 's chances of finishing second in the overall standings have diminished . Rossi 's victory has given him an eight-point lead over Lorenzo in the battle for second place with two races remaining in Sepang and Valencia . Pedrosa trails by a further 18 points .
Valentino Rossi wins Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island . The Italian rider won the race by a margin of just over two seconds from his nearest rival Marc Marquez and took victory in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Champion Marc Marquez goes off while leading . Rossi was securing his 82nd win at motorcycling 's highest level .