MotoGP Grand Prix of Australia 2017: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders

Honda's Marc Marquez will be out to take another big step toward the 2017 MotoGP world championship on Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix.

A thrilling win for Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso in Japan last time out closed the gap on the Spaniard to 11 points at the top of the rider standings, with Marquez coming home in second spot. With the likes of Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Maverick Vinales all struggling for form lately, the race for top spot looks set to be between the leading duo.

With just three races left on the calendar, the contest at Phillip Island has the potential to be a decisive one in the 2017 campaign. Here are the details you need on where to catch the action, the schedule from Australia and a preview of what's to come from Down Under.

Schedule (BST)

Practice 1, Friday October 20, 12:55 a.m.—1:40 a.m.

Practice 2, Friday October 20, 5:05 a.m.—5:50 a.m.

Practice 3, Saturday October 21, 12:55 a.m.—1:40 a.m.

Practice 4, Saturday October 21, 4:30 a.m.—5 a.m.

Qualifying 1, Saturday October 21, 5:10 a.m.—5:25 a.m.

Qualifying 2, Saturday October 21, 5:35 a.m.—5:50 a.m.

Race, Sunday October 22, 6 a.m.

The action can be streamed via the BT Sport website.

Preview

The Australian Grand Prix has a reputation for being one of the most unpredictable on the MotoGP circuit. In the last five years the race in Melbourne has yielded five different winners.

It'd be no surprise to see more twists and turns here again, especially in a campaign that's been so enthralling to watch.

The excitement was cranked up a notch in Japan last time out, as Dovizioso and Marquez engaged in an epic battle right down to the final lap. Eventually, the Italian came out on top in the scrap, cutting down the advantage built up by the Honda man.

As noted by MotoGP journalist Simon Patterson, everyone was getting involved in the drama in Japan:

The win is a boost for the Ducati rider, who posted footage of the final stages of a dramatic grand prix:

It also keeps the title race alive moving into the final three races. While Vinales and Rossi are unlikely to feature in the shakeup now, momentum is with Dovizioso in his attempt to reel in Marquez. And with five wins already this season, he knows what it takes to get over the line.

"I do not think we are the favourites, but I must say that we are working in a very relaxed way, because we are in a strange situation," he said of the battle, per Jamie Klein of MotorSport.com. "If we win the championship, it's something unreal, and if we don't win it, until now we've done a great championship."

Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images

Dovizioso is going for his first-ever world championship, whereas the man he's up against is chasing his fourth in MotoGP.

As we can see courtesy of the Repsol Honda Team account, the podium in Japan was a landmark one for the 24-year-old in his relatively short career:

He's found his consistent best at this point in the campaign. While Dovizioso edged him out in Japan, Marquez had stepped it up prior to that, taking victories in the Aragon and San Marino grands prix.

The Spaniard won here in 2015 as he sought to apply pressure to Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi. The same result would make him a tough man to catch at this point, and given his winning pedigree in clutch moments, you'd back Marquez to find a way to victory again this weekend.

Prediction: 1. Marquez, 2. Dovizioso, 3. Pedrosa