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Tag: Jorge Martin
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Martin outpaces Pecco with new lap record as Marquez faces Q1: MotoGP
The stage is set for another super Saturday with key names split across Q1 and Q2 – and a home hero through
Le Mans (France), 10 May 2024: It was an intense shootout for direct entry into Q2 at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France, with the spots in the top 10 going down to the wire. At the end of Friday it was tight at the top too, with just 0.187s separating the top three. Thanks to a new lap record, however, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) reigns supreme ahead of 2023 duelling partner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) making a statement in third and on team home turf.
For Martin it was a building session, with the #89 consistently running inside the top 10 before a fast lap with 10 minutes to go before improving to set a remarkable 1:30.388 on the Pramac rider’s final run. Bagnaia tried to fight back late, after briefly occupying the top spot with 20 minutes to go. However, Martin’s final sector was too good to match, leaving the reigning World Champion in second with Acosta finding time in the last 10 minutes of the the day to jump to third on the #31’s first time at Le Mans on a MotoGP™ bike.
In fourth after another cracking day was Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales, who was a mere 0.269s from the top spot at the end of the opening day of action at the French GP. The Americas GP winner was ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing) in sixth who had a positive Friday after putting a fresh soft rear tyre in his final run.
Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was sixth after a strong finish to the day – setting a 1:30.699. However, it was not smooth sailing for Miller after saving a crash after running through the gravel at turn two. However at the other side of the box, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a tough day crashing for the third time on Friday, ending the day outside of the Q2 spots.
Aleix Espargaro ended a strong day for the Aprilia Racing squad, finishing the day in seventh, after briefly claiming the top spot. Behind Espargaro in eighth position after a great day was Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli who earned direct entry into Q2 onnce again after finding late time late in the session.
2023 winner Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing) was ninth clinching a Q2 spot and just 0.397 away from the top spot in the highly competitive field. And to the delight of the French crowd, home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took the final spot inside the top 10 and by 0.010s, leaving some huge names to battle in Q1.
Most notably Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) is now forced to go through Q1 on Saturday after ending the day in 13th. The #93 had a crash in the opening stage of the session, remounting, and then began to push in the last 10 minutes but he was unable to piece together a lap good enough for the top 10. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) will join him in Q1 tomorrow, after spending most of Practice outside the top 10 and crossing the line to end the day in 19th.
Binder and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will also prepare for a Q1 appearance on Saturday, hoping to join their teammates in Q2. Further down the order, the French crowd will also be cheering on Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), who was 20th with work to do to improve.
Garcia grabs top honours from Lopez on Friday
It was an exciting Friday afternoon in Moto2™ with many key contenders beginning to show their cards at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France. It continues to be one of the most unpredictable Moto2™ seasons yet, but Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) hit back to end Friday on top, claiming a new lap record at Le Mans with a 1:35.473 in the last five minutes of the session. Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedUp) was second despite losing the front at the end of the session while on a fast lap, rider ok, and third went the way of his teammate Fermin Aldeguer, who found time on a last fast lap to rocket up the order.
Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) was fourth as he looks to fight for a maiden win this weekend, with Championship leader Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) completing the top five.Alonso obliterates the lap record to pull half a second on Esteban, Holgado
It was a quick afternoon for the Moto3™ field at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France with CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team’s David Alonso continuing to mark his ground in Le Mans. The Colombian smashed the lap record for the second time on Friday, setting a remarkable 1:40.470. The #80 was ahead of teammate Joel Esteban (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), who was the only other rider inside the 1:40 bracket – but 0.480s adrift from Alonso. In third place after briefly snatching the top spot with 10 minutes remaining was Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) – continuing to look like a race contender.
It was a dramatic session throughout with riders pushing to the absolute limit as the top spot changed hands multiple times between Alonso, Esteban, and Holgado. There were also a number of crashers, riders ok.
Meanwhile, returning to racing this weekend was Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), ending Friday in fourth but a mere 0.014s faster than Jerez winner Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), who rounded out the top five despite suffering a crash in the closing stages of the session at turn 13.
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Jorge Martin wins the Sprint; Bagnaia finishes 5th
Qatar, 18 Nov. 2023: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) made super Saturday into statement Saturday at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. With a potential match point on the line on Sunday for title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) depending on the Tissot Sprint, the pressure was absolutely on, and the number 89 soaked it up and then some. After battling Bagnaia early in the race as the two started in P4 and P5, Martin made his way into the lead and then held off a charging Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) over a tense final lap, halving Pecco’s points lead in the process as the Championship leader came home only fifth.
Diggia took a stunning second and from second on the grid, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) taking third after leading much of the Sprint from pole. Then came Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and then Bagnaia after a fascinating showdown in the desert.
It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia. Martin, the rider on the inside, just kept third, with Bagnaia left with a few metres to make up. Later round the lap both Alex Marquez and Martin were slightly wide though, and Pecco shot back past Martin as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also attacked and got through.
Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same. A few corners later, he did.
Meanwhile in the lead, Marini was under attack. Alex Marquez got through but the Italian answered straight back, holding on to it as Martin got the hammer down just behind and set the fastest lap.
Over the line for seven laps to go, Alex Marquez had reloaded and was ready to try again. He once again made it through too, but Martini was even quicker to respond with an immediate cutback. That gave Martin a few more metres too as they squabbled, and the number 89 struck as soon as he had the chance to take over in second, homing in on Marini as Alex Marquez was left to defend against Diggia.
The move from Martin came at the final corner, taking over in the lead and able to hold Marini off into Turn 1. Alex Marquez couldn’t say the same, with Diggia able to get through at Turn 1 and set off after the battle ahead.
Bagnaia, meanwhile, was in fifth and just off the back of the gaggle at the front, but with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) charging on, around half a second back.
The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin. Or more, the mission began to keep up with the title contender as the hammer went absolutely down. Lap by lap, they both pulled away, with Marini holding a safe third and Alex Marquez able to gather up a bit of breathing space ahead of Bagnaia.
The leading duo were locked together at the start of the final lap, with Diggia shadowing Martin’s every move. But the number 89 just kept turning the screw and the Gresini machine lost a few metres here and a few there, unable to quite get back on terms with the race leader. Martin crossed the line 0.391s clear to take a valuable 12-point haul from the Tissot Sprint, with Diggia impressing once again after an incredible weekend so far. Marini completes the podium on Saturday.
Alex Marquez held on to fourth as Bagnaia was only able to take fifth, and under some late pressure from Viñales, who got past Binder and was on the march. But the number #1 was just about able to respond and keep a two to three tenth buffer, defending P5 but seeing his lead cut to just seven points.
Binder came home in P7, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) putting in an even bigger charge up from P14 on the grid. The Frenchman was able to get past Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who was forced to settle for 10th as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – now officially Rookie of the Year – grabbed P9 and the last point on Saturday too.
An early, multi-rider crash saw Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) make contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up. Oliveira was declared unfit due to a scapula fracture, and Aleix Espargaro has to be passed fit in a review on Sunday morning – with that penalty from Fp2 pending as well…
And so it’s just seven points between Bagnaia and Martin, with 62 still on the table. 25 more go up for grabs on Sunday in the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, and if the Sprint is anything to go by, there will be fireworks. Don’t miss it – tune in for more on Sunday at 20:00 (GMT +3) for another spectacular showdown under the floodlights.
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Title fight heats up as Bastianini blasts back to glory at Sepang
It’s early race fireworks in the title fight, but up ahead Bastianini and Alex Marquez pull clear on Sunday.
Sepang, 12 Nov 2023: Pecco vs Martin: it’s official. The fight for the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship is now a duel, and it’s a duel split by just 14 points as we head into the final two race weekends. It was also an early race duel at Sepang as the two went toe-to-toe in the fight for the podium, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) defending with everything he had against now sole challenger, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). But that was the fight for third!
Up ahead, Enea Bastianini’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) fantastic return to form continued as the number 23 moved through to the lead, set some absolutely searing pace, and wasn’t to be seen again. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) kept him honest enough, however, with the number 73 following up his Sprint win with another Grand Prix podium.
It was almost three abreast into Turn 1 once the lights went out, with the front row side-by-side. Bastianini played it safe, Bagnaia was on the outside, and it was Martin who let the brakes off – diving up the inside to very briefly take the holeshot. But he was deep and Bagnaia took the chance to try and cut back in, but the #1 wasn’t in the postcode of the apex either. He got back past Martin but Bastianini was already through, as was Alex Marquez.
Pecco held on to third against Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) but Martin wasn’t so lucky, getting shuffled back behind the Italian and left with a little more work to do from fifth.
And so Bastianini led Alex Marquez, with a small but increasing gap back to some stunning early race fireworks. Once Martin was able to get back past Bezzecchi, he was right on the tail of Bagnaia and the teams, factory and grandstands held their breath as the show began.
The number 89 was all over the number 1 but he attacked and was denied, attacked and was denied as the two scythed round Sepang near side-by-side. It was stunning, and it could prove important in terms of more than just points. On Sundays when they’ve both seen the flag, the reigning Champion has only finished ahead of Martin once since the Red Bull Ring – on the day of Johann Zarco’s history-making win in Australia. Bagnaia hasn’t beaten Martin in a Sprint since Catalunya. But at Sepang, the reigning Champion also turned the tables in qualifying, nabbing pole from Martin and outqualifying the number 89 for the first time since Barcelona.
From that huge shot of adrenaline though, it became an ebb of tension as the laps ticked down. Bastianini led Alex Marquez, both in some clear air. Bagnaia was in a “safe” third, and Martin a “safe fourth” as the battle behind was the next.
By five laps to go, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) had arrived at Bezzecchi, and this time the Yamaha rider struck quickly, slicing through almost immediately. The he was left trying to hold off the mighty power of the Ducati out the final corner and down the main straight into Turn 1, but it was mission accomplished – Quartararo was up into the top five as Bezzecchi officially dropped out on title contention.
At the front, Bastianini pounded on. With just over a second in hand, sometimes up to 1.5, the Beast was keeping very calm as he carried on – and very, very fast. He crossed the line for his first win since Aragon last year with a second and a half in hand, becoming the seventh different winner this season. Alex Marquez returned to the Grand Prix podium in second, Bagnaia took that vital third, and Martin was forced to settle for fourth to end the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia 14 points adrift. Still, there are 74 left in play.
Quartararo took fifth from Bezzecchi, with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™’s Franco Morbidelli putting on a charge into seventh and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) P8. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was hot on the heels on the Australian, and they had Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) for company too as he completed the top ten.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and his teammate Pol Espargaro completed the points – with one notable name missing out on some being Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he crashed out of the battle with Miller and Diggia, rider ok.
That’s it from Sepang and another stunning weekend. Every point is pivotal, and now it’s just 14 of them with 74 to play for. This is it: Pecco vs Martin. One of them will be crowned the 2023 FIM MotoGP™ World Champion… and the first match point comes in Qatar for Bagnaia. So don’t go anywhere… it’s GAME ON next weekend!
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Jorge Martin takes pole ahead of Binder: MotoGP
Philip Island, 20 October 2023: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) remained eye-wateringly fast at Phillip Island to take a lap record pole on Saturday morning, with the title challenger in a prime position and over four tenths clear as he looks to grab back that Championship lead both found and lost in Indonesia. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), fastest on Friday, takes second on the grid with some ominous speed, with Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row after a successful and impressive rescue mission coming through Q1.
Q1
After the first runs it was Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) leading the way ahead of Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) just a single thousandth off the number 93’s time in a close, close contest.
On the second time of asking, Bagnaia’s first hot lap saw him take over on top by 0.275. But the red sectors kept coming, from both the reigning Champion and the eight-time Champion looking to move through with him. In the final seconds the two flew across the line and Bagnaia improved his own fastest lap to stay top, with Marc Marquez moving up to second and heading through to Q2 – just 0.077 off the Ducati.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) also made a late charge and was just another 0.010 back, pipping Augusto Fernandez to P13 on the grid but neither quite making it out of Q1.
Q2
The first runs saw a familiar name take over on top: Martin. The number 89 was nearly a quarter of a second clear of Binder, with Bagnaia bouncing back early to a provisional front row.
On attack two, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was tucked in behind Martin, and Marc Marquez was tucked in behind Bagnaia – including for a trip through the run off to rejoin. But once the gas was open, the red sectors began to come in.
Martin’s lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on provisional pole by over four tenths. Aleix Espargaro moved up into second and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) into third, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also edging out his teammate initially.
The next attack from Binder saw him hit back and nab second though, and Bagnaia then slotted in just behind the South African to get back on the provisional front row. That’s how it stayed, with no one else able to challenge and a tantalising trio ready to head the grid for our Saturday Grand Prix race.THE GRID
Behind Martin, Binder and Bagnaia as the KTM gets ready to stir it up for the top two in the title fight, Aleix Espargaro heads Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) takes P5 to pip Diggia late on.
Marc Marquez heads Row 3 ahead of home hero Miller, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) in P9 after improving late on but proving unable to quite make those first two rows. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is down in P10 ahead of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) having a tougher session in P12.
The top two contenders on the front row split by a Red Bull KTM ready to pay their battle no heed promises much as the lights go out Down Under. So make sure to tune in for a SUPER Saturday: -
Jorge Martin stars in rain; but Bagnaia takes 2nd, to bag 20 crucial points
Motegi, 1 October 2023: It was a day for nerves of steel at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with the Championship on a knife edge before the race start and drops of drizzle becoming a flag-to-flag and then some serious rain. But on a day when faltering would likely have lived long in the memory, neither in the duel at the top of the standings did. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) overcame arguably his biggest test of late to put on a wet weather masterclass at the front, outpacing Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to cut the gap to just three points. The test was also a huge one for Bagnaia, on the back foot in terms of momentum and faced with the toughest conditions of the season so far, but the reigning World Champion dug in, held on, and took the necessary 20 points needed to keep that lead.
As the top two in the Championship held their nerve, so did the rider in the centre of his own storm as rumours about the future swirl: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) got back on the Grand Prix podium for the first time in 2023, and on home turf for Honda.
On the grid the tyres were slicks and the skies were grey, with Martin getting the dream start to take the holeshot, while Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also got off the line superbly. The same can’t be said for reigning World Champion Bagnaia, who headed into Turn 1 in fourth as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), though the factory Ducati bit back on the exit of the second corner.
There was immediate disappointment for Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) who ended up in the gravel after contact with several riders going into Turn 1, while Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went wide with him.
As the rain started to increase, pitlane was opened almost immediately for riders to swap bikes, something which the vast majority opted to do. Martin led them into pitlane, with Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) following closely behind. Five opted to stay out: Fabio Quartararo (Moneter Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Cal Crutchlow (Yamalube RS4GP Racing Team), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda Castrol) and Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) were the quintet of riders, and all of a sudden, Pirro led the Japanese Grand Prix.
From those who chose to change bikes, Martin led a large group out onto the track, with Espargaro, Miller, Bagnaia and Marquez next. At Turn 10, Espargaro challenged Martin for the lead of the group but the Pramac rider struck back. As we went to clock off another lap, Quartararo and Crutchlow then changed machines. Pirro, Bradl and Morbidelli did not.
It was an incredibly dramatic start to the race, and it showed no signs of slowing down as Martin went wide under pressure from Espargaro, dropping to P9 before Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) picked him off. A ballsy move around Turn 6 though returned the position to the title hopeful as he went up the inside of the Gresini machine.
By the end of Lap 3, the riders on wets caught Morbidelli as Marquez tried to battle past Espargaro at Turn 11, but couldn’t keep it pinned as he slipped back behind the Aprilia. A little further back, Martin was out to make amends from his earlier error and got through on Miller at Turn 3 for sixth, lining up behind title rivals Bezzecchi and Bagnaia.
Amid all that, Pirro, incredibly, still led the Grand Prix by 10 seconds, but he soon swapped bikes too, meaning we had a new race leader in the form of Aleix Espargaro, who had time to spare over Marquez in second. There were then further shifts in the pecking order, as Bagnaia and Martin both picked off Bezzecchi, before the Ducatis then flew past Marc Marquez by the end of the lap to move for the podium places.
Just five laps in, and we had enough drama to last a season… and it was far from over!
A look at the timing screens showed Aleix Espargaro out front, but his lead was cut to half a second over Bagnaia, with Martin completing the provisional podium paces. Bezzecchi picked off Marquez as the Repsol Honda began sliding the wrong way, with Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) the next to get the better of him. By this stage, the race lost Binder to a crash as he slid out at Turn 3, rider ok.
Back out front, Martin was on the march, battling past Bagnaia for second and then making light work of Espargaro for the lead, and the in form Spaniard opened up a cushion of seven tenths. 1.5 seconds behind the front two, Bezzecchi moved into third place at the expense of Aleix Espargaro, who seemed to lose all drive aboard his RS-GP with Oliveira and Marquez both coming through on him seconds later.
After nine laps, it looked like the race began to settle down after probably the most hectic start to a MotoGP™ race in recent memory. Martin’s lead was out to a second, with Bagnaia still holding his advantage over Bezzecchi. Oliveira was next in line, but the master of the wet in recent times couldn’t mount a podium challenge and then entered the pits to retire by the end of Lap 12, a lost chance.
The action was still coming thick and fast behind the leaders though, with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Miller staging a spectacular battle for seventh before the Aussie lost out after running it wide at Turn 11, somewhat fortunate not to crash as he rejoined the chasing pack in 10th. That suddenly put the Constructors’ crown in reach for Ducati…
Conditions were worsening, with bikes spraying up water from the asphalt as the pace slowed, but that couldn’t stop Marquez from making moves as the eight-time World Champion went by Bezzecchi and onto the podium on the drive into Turn 11. He then began taking chunks out of Bagnaia’s advantage, and it looked like just a matter of time before he reeled him in…. but then the red flag waved. Riders returned to pitlane. Including Zarco who crashed moments before the red flag and wrote off his GP23, rider ok.
With 13 of 24 laps completed, a restart would happen if conditions were to improve, but that was a big if. It seemed that conditions had cleared enough for a restart, but before they could complete the warm up lap, the red flag was waved once again, and a race result was declared. As over 50% of the race had been completed, full points were awarded.
Martin’s nerves of steel in the face of a very different challenge see him confirmed the winner, with another 25 points putting him just three off Bagnaia. But to keep that lead, if he didn’t beat him and Martin won, Pecco had to follow him home. And that he did.
Bezzecchi missed the podium but collected 13 points ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Jack Miller in P5 and P6 respectively. Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) finished ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio for seventh, while Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Quartararo completed the top 10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) came home in 11th in his home Grand Prix, with Mir, Crutchlow, Bradl and Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completing the point-scoring places.
Perhaps it was a muted end, but it was simply a breathtaking, spectacular challenge and race at the Japanese Grand Prix. Now, we’ve got two weeks until the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia gets underway, which might just be as well, because it’s going to take some time to unpack this one.
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Jorge Martin wins Motegi sprint ahead of Brad Binder
Motegi, 30 Sept. 2023: If Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) wins the Grand Prix race at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) doesn’t follow him home, we’ll have a new Championship leader in MotoGP – such is the momentum carried by the number 89, who won the Tissot Sprint at Motegi in style. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was off like a shot to make a good run of it in the early stages, ultimately taking second for some more silverware, with Bagnaia completing the podium after going toe-to-toe in a spectacular duel against former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
The best start on the front row came from polesitter Martin as he shot forward for the holeshot, with Miller out-dragging Pecco for second as Binder then also managed to slot up the inside of the reigning Champion into third. As ever, the KTMs made it game on early doors.
Binder wasn’t for sitting behind teammate Miller for long though, taking over in second after a brutal but fair move and then tagging onto the rear wheel of Martin. Almost immediately, the two were creating a small but real gap, leaving Miller between that lead duo and another comprising Bagnaia and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
By third race distance, Martin and Binder were starting to pull the pin. Miller was then left looking over his shoulder as Bagnaia homed in, with Marquez also losing ground to the duo ahead of him – making it two duels at the front followed by what was becoming an increasingly close fight for fifth headed by an eight-time World Champion.
On Lap 6, there was a first real move in that fight as Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) attacked and passed Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), the young Italian then able to lock on to Marquez almost immediately. Bezzecchi feinted a couple of moves before committing to a lunge, but ultimately overcooked it and sent both of them wide, letting a fast-starting Zarco back through and allowing Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) to split the duo too.
Up ahead, Martin was on the march by the final few laps, with Binder in a secure second and Bagnaia still wrapped up behind Miller, keenly looking for a way past. He saw one and took it on Lap 9, but the Australian wasn’t having it. And so began a poetic and epic scrap to complete the Sprint podium, with both sideways, squiggly, and absolutely on the limit until a final and decisive move on the penultimate lap saw Miller forced to cede.
The Australian then watched the Ducati just edge out of reach, forced to settle for fourth and forced to keep it pinned thereafter too as a late charge from Zarco started to reel him in.
Just up the road, Martin managed to hold on to just over a second of breathing space ahead of Binder, with the two taking the top two steps on Saturday as Bagnaia came home third to complete the Sprint rostrum. Behind, Miller did manage to hold off Zarco’s late threat, with the Australian taking fourth by a tenth.
After his earlier ambition outweighed track limits when attacking Marquez, Bezzecchi had to get the hammer down get back past and stay ahead, with the eight-time World Champion right back on his rear wheel on the last two laps. A quality final tour ensured the Italian was just able to stay ahead, coming come P6 as Marquez took seventh.
Behind that battle but not by much, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) took his first Sprint points in P8, within a second of Marquez by the flag as his impressive Japanese GP continues. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took the final Sprint point in P9. Teammate Aleix Espargaro, after fighting for fifth in the early stages, was forced to pull into pitlane and retire.
After all that, it’s just eight points in it at the top as Martin homes in. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a serious title fight! Tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan Sunday showdown 15:00 (GMT +9)!
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Jorge Martin wins Indian GP’s first Tissot Sprint Race
New Delhi, 23 Sept. 2023: Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing won the Tissot Sprint Race in the MotoGP class of the Indian Oil Grand Prix of India at the Buddh Interational Circuit in Greater Noida here on Saturday.
Marco Bezzecchi of Mooney VR46 Racing Team took pole position for Sunday’s race, while Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing will start second and Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team will start third on the grid.
Stefan Bradl, Luca Marini and Pol Espargaro crashed at the start of the race, with Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing taking over the lead. Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team was second, while Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was third. Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing was in fourth place.
Jorge Martin leads the pack on way to Sprint victory on Saturday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishanan Even as the riders battled it out, soon it was time for Joan Mir of Repsol Honda Team to crash out.
The gap between the riders was pretty much consistent as the race wore on. But soon after, Marquez and Binder got into a battle to make a claim for the third place, but the positions did not change as Martin took victory in the Tissot Sprint Race.
Though the temperature and humidity remained high, there was rain in the afternoon that brought proceedings to a halt during the Moto3 qualifying Number One. After a delay of about 45 minutes and the safety car making laps of the track, action resumed at 2:35 pm.
Jorge Martin In the first qualifying session for the MotoGP class, Raul Fernandez of the Cryptodata RNF MotoGP Team topped the timecharts with figures of 01:44:4100, while Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing MotoGP did 01:44:5190 and Fabio Di Gannantonio of Gresini clocked 01:44:5290. He was followed by Brad Binder and Takagi Nakagami.
Bagnaia, 2nd in the inaugural Sprint race at BIC on Saturday. In the second qualifying for MotoGP, Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team topped the proceedings with a time of 01:43:9470, while Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing was 01:43:9900 and Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team came in third with a time of 1:44:2030.
In the first qualifying session for Moto2, Zonta Van Den Goorbergh of Fieten Olie Racing GP topped the charts with a time of 02:02:6140, while Sergio Garcia of Pons Wegow Los40 made it to the second spot with 02:02:9590 and Barry Baltus of Fieten Olie Racing GP was third with 02:03:1110. In the second qualifying session, Jake Dixon of GASGAS Aspar Team was first with a time of 02:01:9240, Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Ajo was second with 02:01:9560 and Sergio Garcia of Pons Wegow Los40 was third with 02:02:1920.
In the first qualifying session for Moto3, Deniz Oncu of Red Bull KTM Ajo topped the timecharts with a time of 1:59:0700, while Ryusei Yamanaka clocked 1:59:9300 and Scott Ogden of the Vision VisionTrack Racing Team timed 1:59:9690. In the second qualifying session, Jaume Masia timed 02:09:3360, while Matteo Bartelle registered 02:10:0630 and Ayumu Sasaki of the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP was third at 02:10:1040.
Marc Marquez – Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Earlier, Diogo Moreira of MT Helmets-MSI topped the third practice session in Moto3 with a top time of 1:59:3750, while Manuel Gonzalez of the Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team topped the Moto2 third free practice with a time of 01:51:6080. In the MotoGP free practice session two, Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team topped with a time of 01:45:3980.
The first corner was deemed to be tricky by the riders. Even a bit of delay in braking would result in a disaster as several riders had already suffered crashes there.
Mike Webb, race director said, “Due to the feedback from the teams and riders and considering the heat and humidity, the race distances will be shortened.”
The Tissot Sprint race was of 11 laps, while the Moto3 will be of 16 laps, the Moto2 will be 18 laps and the MotoGP will be 21 laps.
Jorge Martin wins Sprint on Saturday. -
Jorge Martin doubles up to home in on Bagnaia
Martin and Bezzecchi pip Pecco to cut the Championship deficit as Pedrosa threatens to spoil the party at Misano
Misano, 10 Sept. 2023: Pole position, Tissot Sprint win and a Sunday race victory. Jorge Martin’s (Prima Pramac Racing) weekend at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini couldn’t have gone any better as the Spaniard made no mistakes to take maximum points on his title rivals’ stomping ground. The winning margin over second place Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was just 1.3s as Bez homed in though, with reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fighting through the pain to claim an important third. And Pecco was only just ahead of some familiar company at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Martin untouchable again as Pecco fends off Pedrosa
Just like he did in the Tissot Sprint, Martin got a perfect launch and pocketed the holeshot as Bezzecchi and Bagnaia slotted in behind. Pedrosa got away well again and was up to P4, and the MotoGP™ Legend held on after a moment between Turn 1 and 2 looking for a way through on Bagnaia. But Bagnaia then picked his way past Bezzecchi at Turn 3 as the #1 immediately began to hound Martin.Unlike yesterday, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made good progress off the start and at the beginning of Lap 2, the South African was up to P4 and began to chase Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi.
A fascinating early race fight was unfolding at the front. Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi were locked together, with Binder 0.7s adrift heading onto Lap 5. On Lap 6, Bezzecchi passed Pecco for P6 down at Turn 8 but just like he did a lap previous, the Italian was wide at Turn 10 to allow the Champion back through. That gave Martin a little bit of breathing room – if you can call 0.3s that – as Binder went quicker than the trio in front of him.
Disaster then struck for Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 8. The KTM star was down at the tight right-hand hairpin as his podium hopes ended, handing Pedrosa the lead KTM baton. The #26 was 1.5s off the leaders, as KTM’s afternoon then got worse as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out of contention after being involved in an incident with Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing).
Elsewhere, on Lap 12 of 27, it was time to cue the jaws music. Who for? Pedrosa. The wildcard was beginning to close at a vast rate of knots and with 15 laps left, Pedrosa was just 0.6s off Bezzecchi’s rear wheel. Unbelievable. The Little Samurai was the only rider lapping in the 1:31s at this stage of the race.
Pedrosa’s pace dropped off soon after but the gap remained at just over a second. At the front, with 10 laps to go, Martin’s lead grew to over a second for the first time as the #89 began to get the hammer down. Were the injuries to Bagnaia and Bezzecchi starting to take their toll or was Martin’s pace just too good? Bezzecchi was looking impatient behind VR46 compatriot Bagnaia, and a move came at Turn 8. By now though, Martin’s advantage was 2.2s.
Bagnaia was fading. Pedrosa was coming. 0.7s split the double World Champion from the three-time World Champion, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and an extremely classy ride for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) putting him a further four seconds back after initially closing on the number 12. A huge six laps beckoned, could Bagnaia hold on to what would be a very valuable and hard-earned 16 points?
With four laps to go, Bagnaia was holding Pedrosa at bay by 0.6s. Bezzecchi was now under two seconds away from Martin but it was too little too late, with the latter controlling his advantage nicely as he powered towards completing the perfect weekend.
With two to go, Pedrosa was right on Bagnaia’s coattails. Catching the Ducati rider was one thing but as he found out in the Sprint, passing was a whole different kettle of fish. In the end, Bagnaia did hold on to a crucial P3 as Martin made no mistake to cap off a sensational weekend. Bezzecchi bagged P2 despite his injured hand to gain ground in the title chase.
The points scorers in Misano
Just off the podium of Martin, Bezzecchi and Bagnaia, Pedrosa took the chequered flag just 0.6s away from the rostrum as the Little Samurai again demonstrates why he’s a three-time World Champion and a MotoGP™ Legend. Unreal from the popular Spaniard, who finished six seconds up the road from fifth place Viñales.Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) was sixth ahead of Marc Marquez, who somehow bags a brilliant P7 after racing with a soft rear tyre. Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) takes home his best MotoGP™ finish in P8, as the Ducatis of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) complete the top 10.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Catalan GP winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), a recovering Binder and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) closed out the points in San Marino.
Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) joined Miller and Pirro as the riders to notch up DNFs.
36 points in it heading to India!
A brand-new challenge awaits us next time out as India hosts MotoGP™ for the very first time. Martin’s perfect weekend sees the gap between him and Championship leader Pecco sit at 36 points as the flyaway tour of the season begins… for the first time in some time, it’s back below the 37 points on offer in one weekend. Don’t miss it! -
Jorge Martin wins Tissot Sprint; Bezzecchi second
Martin escapes Bezzecchi, Bagnaia fends off Pedrosa in blockbuster Sprint at Misano… The number 89 is unmatched to deny Bezzecchi a home win as the reigning Champion fights off a Legend and Binder throwns down with… everyone else…
Misano, 9 Sept. 2023: Pole position was converted into a Tissot Sprint victory for Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) the only rider able to run the Spaniard close on Saturday. Reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) picked up his 10th Saturday podium of the season – and his most hard-fought yet – as the #1 fended off the two Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines of MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and a charging Brad Binder for P3.
Martin unmatched as a magical podium fight unfolds
Martin got the exact launch he’d have wanted from pole as he grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, as Bagnaia powered his way around the outside of Bezzecchi to grab an early P2. Pedrosa went P5 to P4 to get the better of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) as Binder didn’t get away well – the South African was outside the top 10.Martin immediately began to pull the pin. On Lap 2 his lead was up to 0.9s as Bagnaia made a small mistake to relinquish P2 to Bezzecchi. Meanwhile, Binder was responding in the only way he knows how: full attack mode. Midway around Lap 3 Binder was up to P6 and hounding Viñales, who by then was already nearly two seconds back from Pedrosa.
At the front, it quickly became Martin vs Bezzecchi. Lap 3 belonged to the latter, the Italian cut the gap by a sizeable 0.5s, with Bagnaia dropping to two seconds off the P1 fight. Binder vs Viñales was raging on and on Lap 6 of 13, a move finally stuck for the #33. Next on his radar: KTM stablemate Pedrosa.
With five laps to go, Martin’s gap to Bezzecchi was up to 0.8s as Pedrosa reeled in Bagnaia in by 0.4s. Binder was making ground but he wasn’t taking chunks out of the pair just up the road, the gap to try and bridge was hovering at around one second.
With two laps left in the Tissot Sprint, a two-horse race for P3 became a three-horse race. Binder was right with Bagnaia and Pedrosa, knowing gaining points on Pecco is absolutely crucial. Considering what happened less than a week ago, however, the reigning Champion was riding unbelievably to keep the KTMs behind as the last lap began.
Martin led by a second over Bezzecchi as we strapped in for a KTM vs Bagnaia scrap for the final podium place. Halfway around the lap, Pecco was holding on. Binder was out of shape; Pedrosa was waiting to pounce. A headshake down the back straight cost Pedrosa time and despite the efforts of the orange bikes, Pecco just held on to claim P3 behind Martin and Bezzecchi taking the chequered flag in P1 and P2 respectively.
The points scorers on Saturday
Behind the rostrum lock out for the top three in the title fight, a dream podium wasn’t to be on Saturday but Pedrosa rolled back the years again to claim a wonderful P4, with Binder crossing the line 0.159s off the ‘Little Samurai’ in P5 after a belting comeback. Viñales grabbed P6 ahead of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), the latter in P9 picking up the final Sprint point in Misano. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) initially got his elbows out in that fight but came home in P10, just missing out on a point.Will Martin complete the perfect weekend on Sunday?
Bagnaia’s heroic efforts haven’t stopped his title lead dropping to 45 points ahead of Sunday’s main event in Misano, with Martin eyeing up a pole-Sprint-race triple to bring himself right back into title contention. And what about Pedrosa? Tune in for more stunning action as the Grand Prix race goes green at 14:00 local time (GMT+2). -
Aleix grabs victory in an Aprilia duel after early drama
The “Captain” overhauls Viñales, Martin takes third after early race drama sees Bagnaia suffer huge highside out the lead but escape relatively unscathed.
Barcelona, 3 Sept. 2023: Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) made history at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya as he led a historic Aprilia 1-2 over the line. Teammate Maverick Viñales led for much of the race before being caught, stalked and then passed by his teammate, but it marked a milestone day for the Noale factory. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) completed the podium.
Before that, drama on a first start saw a multiple-rider crash at Turn 1, right before a highside out the lead for reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) couldn’t avoid the #1 fully but after examination at the medical centre and the General Hospital of Catalunya, Bagnaia was confirmed to have suffered no fractures in the incident.
Unfortunately, teammate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was found to have injured his hand and ankle in the Turn 1 crash, and he was penalised for his part in the incident too. Bagnaia’s highside and the incident at Turn 1 saw the Red Flag come out and the race restart with neither lining up on the grid.
A dramatic first start
As the lights went out for the first time, Bastianini went a bit too hot into Turn 1 and had nowhere to go as the field tipped in. The Italian caught the rear end of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) seeing them both go down and ending in a multi-rider pile-up at the Turn 1 gravel trap, including Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and both Gresini machines of Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio.Just seconds later Bagnaia’s crash happened just a few metres ahead. On the exit of Turn 2 the Italian highsided out, with most avoiding both man and machine and only Binder caught up, also crashing out. That confirmed a red flag for the first start as both Bagnaia and Bastianini were then taken to the medical centre.
Pressing the reset button
With pole position empty and no Bagnaia, Martin took the holeshot this time around but Viñales came out the blocks guns blazing too, hitting the front quickly with a firm first-lap move. The number 12 led the way ahead of Martin, with Aleix Espargaro sitting in third with his hands full with Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team).Viñales began to stretch out a few bike lengths on Martin as Aleix Espargaro was determined to make sure his teammate didn’t break away and proceeded to push his way past Martin with 21 laps to go. Oliveira then decided to strike whilst the iron was hot and followed, moving up into third to create a historic Aprilia 1-2-3.
Lap by lap, Aleix Espargaro bridged the gap to his teammate, stalking him once he arrived on the scene.
Just behind, Oliveira was unable to hold onto the factory duo, and the Portuguese rider started to fade back into the clutches of Martin. The Pramac rider pounced on the RNF machine with 14 laps remaining.
After piling on the pressure, Aleix Espargaro then dropped back a few tenths after a mistake with 12 laps to go. But the number 41 dug back in and inched his way back onto the rear wheel of Viñales up ahead, setting up another shot at taking over in front.
With four laps to go, Aleix Espargaro then made his move. Side by side along the main straight, he then pounced on Maverick at Turn 1 and parked his RSGP up this inside of the #12. Brutal, fair, or both at once, Viñales was sent wide and through the long lap loop as Aleix pulled away in the lead.
The roles were now reversed, with Viñales on the back foot once back on track and looking to home back in on the lead. It looked impossible, then implausible, but by the final lap the number 12 was starting to get close enough to cause his teammate a sweat if he’d had a rear view mirror. But the metres were running out, and Aleix Espargaro kept it cool and collected under the pressure to shoot over the line and make some serious amends for his 2022 lap count mistake. Viñales, although not on the top step, made it a truly historic day for Aprilia as he came up just 0.377s short in second for that 1-2.
Martin crossed the line in a lonelier third place, off the Aprilias but ahead of his teammate Johann Zarco two seconds back in fourth. Oliveira slipped down to fifth place by the time the chequered flag came out, with a battle for sixth place being won by Alex Marquez a further 3 seconds back.
The Spaniard got the better of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who finished in seventh and eighth respectively. Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) bagged P9 with a last gasp move on Fabio Di Giannantionio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who rounded out the top 10.
Luca Marini won a duel against teammate Bezzecchi for P11, just ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Binder was a notable retirement, suffering a technical issue and DNF after the restart.
At the head of the field, it was a weekend to remember for Aleix Espargaro and for Aprilia Racing. Not only did Aleix take both the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix victories, but the Noale manufacturer came away with both their factory machines securing top 3 finishes in both events. MotoGP™ now turns its attention to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy for the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini from the 8th – 10th of September.
