The second row of the grid consists out of Casey Stoner, Andrea Dovizioso and Colin Edwards in fourth, fifth and sixth place.

As the race is eventually declared 'wet', one rider who takes the gamble is Stoner, who has changed his tyres to full wets on both the front and the rear.

His teammate Lorenzo swoops around the outside to dive into second position, Pedrosa fighting with Toni Elías though Redgate and Hollywood (Turn 2) for third place.

Elías then dives down the inside of Lorenzo at McLean's (Turn 7), surprising the Spaniard and taking over at the front halfway into the first lap.

Both Repsol Honda riders - Pedrosa and Dovizioso - then pass Rossi on the short straight before Coppice (Turn 8).

James Toseland makes a move at Starkey's Straight for sixth position as Pedrosa has a moment and runs wide upon entry of The Esses (Turn 9).

At the Melbourne Hairpin Rossi lunges down the inside of Dovizioso and with Pedrosa avoiding the Italian, he passes both and moves up into third spot.

Behind him, Toseland also goes up the inside of Randy de Puniet, who has made progress from tenth on the grid, to overtake him for sixth position.

At Goddards (Turn 11), Toseland goes up the inside of Pedrosa and takes fifth position from him, with Melandri doing likewise on de Puniet for seventh place.

At the Old Hairpin, Melandri goes up the inside of Toseland for fifth, running wide upon exit and gifting the place back to the Englishman.

Dovizioso has closed up to Rossi and tries a very daring move down his inside at the entry of Starkey's Bridge, running on the damp kerb and having a moment as a result.

Lap six and Pedrosa makes a move on teammate Dovizioso, going up his inside to pass him at Redgate and promote him up to second.

Elías is now losing ground to Rossi but still has a gap of +2.996 seconds back to de Puniet, who has passed Toseland for sixth.

Rossi then makes a pass on Dovizioso for second at the end of Starkey's Straight, entering The Esses ahead of him.

This is shown when Elías goes a bit wide entering Starkey's Bridge, gets on the damp kerb, loses the bike and highsides out of contention and into the gravel at high speed.

Melandri also passes Mika Kallio at the Melbourne Hairpin for eighth position, diving down his inside and hitting him slightly in the process.

Just before Lorenzo enters Goddards, he touches the white line and immediately loses the bike, sliding him out of contention.

On lap thirteen, the second bikes in the pit lane are being readied just in case the riders decide to enter.

Lap fourteen and Pedrosa blasts past de Puniet again at the exit of the Wheatcroft Straight, retaking the position in the process.

At the exit of Hollywood and the entrance of the Craner Curves, the Frenchman stays right behind Pedrosa and manages to sneak up his inside to take third back again.

Lap sixteen and Dovizioso now has a whopping +12.854 second gap back to Pedrosa, who has repassed de Puniet.

The group of Toseland, Edwards, Kallio, Capirossi and Melandri all lap a struggling Stoner at Hollywood and the Craner Curves as he slows down.

Lap eighteen and Kallio passes both Capirossi and Toseland, shooting past at Redgate and taking seventh.

At the entrance of The Esses, Melandri goes a bit wide as he has a slight moment but doesn't lose too much time or any positions as a result of it.

In the middle of The Esses, Rossi then loses the rear of his bike and slides out of the lead, gifting Dovizioso first place and a wide gap back to second.

Not far behind is de Angelis, who also manages to overtake the Spaniard at the entrance of Starkey's Bridge around the outside, him almost losing his bike as he has a moment.

Lap twenty-four and Dovizios is still out in front, taking the gamble by staying out and going slowly to avoid falling like his rivals Rossi and Lorenzo have done.

De Puniet then dives down the inside of Edwards at the Melbourne Hairpin, taking second from him as they tiptoe into the corner.

Fifth is Rossi who managed to overtake Toseland making a do-or-die lunge up his inside at the Melbourne Hairpin, with the Brit coming home in sixth spot.

Dovizioso casually waves at the fans standing on the track, the marshalls keeping them from swarming them and Pedrosa - who has now come next to him and rides ahead of him.