Spain’s Marc Marquez has stretched his lead further in the MotoGP World Championship standings after producing yet another dominant performance to secure a fourth win in a row and his first ever GP win in Jerez overnight.

With victory in the south of Spain in his 100th Grand Prix Marquez becomes the first rider to win the opening four premier class races of the year since Mick Doohan in 1992. Marquez had never previously won at Jerez in the World Championship.

It was a truly faultless ride by the young Spaniard, although Marquez mucked in with an exciting opening couple of laps as a frisky Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo attempted to get the edge. But once he was ahead by the end of lap two, he simply scampered into a lead he would manage to the chequered flag.

The first rider to win the opening four races of a MotoGP season since Valentino Rossi in 2002, victory in his 100th GP race also means he has already tasted the winners’ champagne at each event on the current MotoGP calendar at some stage in his short career.

A race that many speculated would be a closer battle between Marquez, the factory Yamahas and team-mate Dani Pedrosa, the opening couple of laps certainly suggested a busy afternoon for the defending champion as he came up against some very determined rivals initially.

Indeed, in a vision not experienced for several years, the hole-shot was actually won by a Ducati rider when Andrea Dovizioso dived into the lead on the inside line, though a wide exit would quickly see Marquez and Rossi nudge back ahead.

From here, Rossi announced his presence with a move into the lead at Dry Sac and though Marquez was ahead again by the final corner, the dogged Italian simply responded immediately into turn one at the start of lap two.

However, that would prove to be the last resistance Marquez would face because once he nosed ahead again at Dry Sac, he would reel off a series of incredible fastest laps to put three seconds between himself and his rivals in just ten laps.

With his margin rising to five seconds at its peak, before coming down again in the closing stages as he eased off his relentless pace, Marquez would turn in a superb solo performance of precision riding to claim yet another win and send the massive home crowd in rapture.

Further down the road, the battle for second would settle into a three-way tandem headed up by Rossi, ahead of Lorenzo and Pedrosa, the latter spending much of his race bottled up behind the Yamahas

With Rossi seemingly enjoying an edge over Lorenzo, Pedrosa would nip into third place with seven laps to go to chase after Rossi, now one second up the road. However, while the Spaniard – a winner in Jerez last season – would catch the Italian, the wily veteran would have just enough to keep his rival at bay to deny Repsol Honda another 1-2 finish.

Slipping more than seven seconds behind the podium fight, a defeated Lorenzo would have little to celebrate on his 27th birthday, his run to fourth leaving him even further out of title contention.

Following his grandstand start, Andrea Dovizioso settled in fifth place before fending off all-comers for the position, the Ducati rider passed by Aleix Espargaro and Alvaro Bautista for the position, but each time fighting back to hold onto another impressive result for the Italian firm.

Despite missing out on the top five, Bautista can be satisfied with sixth – his first finish of the season – not least because he was one of the few to progress through the race having run down in tenth initially.

Espargaro paid for a mistake in the closing stages of the race whilst battling for fifth to finish in seventh, the Spaniard just holding off the attentions of Bradley Smith in eighth position. Pol Espargaro and Stefan Bradl completed the top ten.

Elsewhere, Nicky Hayden triumphed in the battle of the Open Hondas in 11th position, with Hiroshi Aoyama prevailing in a race-long battle with Scott Redding in 12th and 13th. Yonny Hernandez and Hector Barbera rounded out the points’ paying positions.

There was disappointment for Cal Crutchlow, who suffered technical issues early on retire, while fellow Ducati rider Andrea Iannone crashed out of eighth position.

Results from GP of Spain:

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 27 laps

2. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) +1.431s

3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) +1.529s

4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) +8.541s

5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) +27.494s

6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) +27.606s

7. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) +27.917s

8. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) +27.947s

9. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* +29.419s

10. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) +32.872s

11. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) +35.490s

12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) +40.083s

13. Scott Redding GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R)* +43.830s

14. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) +52.295s

15. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Avintia) +54.873s

16. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART) +1m 06.182s

17. Broc Parkes AUS Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART)* +1m 23.420s

Not Classified

18. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)

19. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Avintia)*

20. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici)

21. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R)

22. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici)

23. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici)

DNS Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing Project (ART)