1990 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix

  1990 Australian Grand Prix

Race details
Race 15 of 15 races in the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	16 September 1990
Location	Phillip Island
Course	Permanent racing facility 4.445 km (2.762 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider	Mick Doohan
Time	1:34.788
Fastest lap
Rider	Wayne Gardner
Time	1:34.560
Podium
First	Wayne Gardner
Second	Mick Doohan
Third	Wayne Rainey
250 cc
Pole position
Rider	John Kocinski
Time	1:37.531
Fastest lap
Rider	John Kocinski
Time	1:36.681
Podium
First	John Kocinski
Second	Helmut Bradl
Third	Luca Cadalora
125 cc
Pole position
Rider	Hans Spaan
Time	1:44.528
Fastest lap
Rider	Doriano Romboni
Time	1:43.959
Podium
First	Loris Capirossi
Second	Bruno Casanova
Third	Doriano Romboni

The 1990 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 14–16 September 1990 at Phillip Island.

500 cc race report

Cagiva sat out the last race, as the grid was headed by Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Eddie Lawson. The start went to the Rothmans Hondas, but by the hairpin Wayne Rainey was up to third. Exiting the hairpin, Gardner almost highsided, letting Rainey through.

Rainey took the lead from Doohan, with Gardner making it a trio away at the front. Rainey was passed by Doohan on the straight, but he re-took the lead by barging through the inside of the hairpin. Doohan passed on the straight again: the Yamaha was never beaten on straight-line speed. The trio became a quartet as Schwantz caught up, having set the fastest lap of the race.

Gardner's fairing came loose after his near-crash, but he managed to pass Rainey on the straight to take second spot, and again Rainey inelegantly pushed Gardner wide on the hairpin apex, which allowed Schwantz into third. With 7 laps to go, Doohan was out front down the straight, Schwantz in second and Gardner back into third as he passed Rainey into Turn One. He then passed Schwantz before the hairpin.

Gardner passed Doohan in Turn One, causing Doohan to nearly highside through the right-hander as Schwantz closed the gap that had been forming and then goes on to pass him. Rainey was still in fourth place. On the brakes into Turn One, Schwantz had a high-speed highside and crashed out of second. Gardner won the race in front of Doohan, with a small gap to Rainey in third.

500 cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Wayne Gardner	Honda	47:45.053	20
2	Mick Doohan	Honda	+0.856	17
3	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	+2.739	15
4	Eddie Lawson	Yamaha	+42.532	13
5	Niall Mackenzie	Suzuki	+54.520	11
6	Juan Garriga	Yamaha	+1:00.539	10
7	Sito Pons	Honda	+1:05.231	9
8	Peter Goddard	Yamaha	+1:30.221	8
9	Pierfrancesco Chili	Honda	+1 Lap	7
10	Marco Papa	Honda	+1 Lap	6
11	Eddie Laycock	Honda	+1 Lap	5
12	Cees Doorakkers	Honda	+1 Lap	4
Ret	Jean Philippe Ruggia	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Tadahiko Taira	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	Retirement