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Tag: MotoGP
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Martin snatches lap record pole from Espargaro and Bastianini
A front row split by 0.086, four factories within 0.124… qualifying sets the scene for a stunning season opener
Lusail: Saturday, 9 March 2024: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) will head the first grids of the year after! The 2023 runner up set a magical 1:50.789 in qualifying for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar to take pole, becoming the fastest rider ever to lap Lusail International Circuit. That said, it’s close at the top. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was just 0.083 behind, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounding out the front row only another 0.003 back.
After a Practice session that left Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) just outside the cut, the Spaniard was taking aim at the top in Q1. He got it too, moving through just ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the two left Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) missing out on a place by just 0.010. Nevertheless, the Frenchman continues to impress on his switch to Honda.
Q2 DELIVERS A TANTALISING GRID
There was a lot to learn in the very first Q2 of the year. Everyone fully unleashed, full throttle, and not a single sandbag worth holding on to. After the first runs, a familiar name had taken hold though: Martin. That stunning 1:50.789 came in on his second lap as Ducatis locked out the top five positions early on, and no one would prove able to topple it.
Once the second runs began, Miller and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) were especially hoping to find some time, but then it was all eyes on Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) as the eight-time World Champion came up with red sectors – but it wasn’t quite enough in the last part of the lap.
Espargaro was another who looked to be challenging Martin’s dominion at the top but he ultimately jumped into second, losing out by less than a tenth, as Bastianini held onto a first front row of the year in third, and at a venue he’s reigned before.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) heads the second row, just 0.124 off the top, and lost the chance to make a final improvement as he slid off on his last attempt. Alongside Binder will be reigning World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who starts from fifth. And then it’s Marc Marquez rounding out the second row, making it 12 World Championships lining up on Row 2.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will head the third row in P7, with teammate Marco Bezzecchi having a tougher weekend of it and left down in Q1. Acosta will start eighth for his first Tissot Sprint and premier class Grand Prix race, having been P3 on Friday and gone straight through to Q2 to boot.
Alex Marquez rounds out Row 3 after he couldn’t replicate his time from Practice that saw him top that session, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Miller and Raul Fernandez, who crashed in Q2, rider ok, locking out the positions down to P12. Then it’s Zarco and that very solid debut with Honda, the first of those who didn’t make it through to Q2.
The grids are set, the stage is set, and soon the sun will set. Come back for more MotoGP™ at 19:00 local time (UTC +3) for the first Tissot Sprint of what promises to be a stunning 2024! -
Jaume Masia is the 2023 FIM Moto3 World Champion!
Losail (Qatar), 19 Nov. 2023: It’s official: Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) is the 2023 Moto3™ World Champion! A victory in a tense Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar secured the Spaniard a maiden Grand Prix title, with the win at Lusail adding to three further victories across a season that has seen the Spaniard take 10 podiums so far and run at the front from the off.
Born in Algemesi, Valencia, Masia competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and for three seasons in what is now the JuniorGP™ paddock before making his Grand Prix debut in 2017. He then became a full time Grand Prix rider in 2018 and having finished 13th in his rookie campaign, came out of the blocks flying in 2019. A maiden victory arrived at the Argentina GP, which he then backed up with a P2 at the following race in America.
Two more wins were claimed by Masia in 2020 as he moved to Leopard Racing, before a switch to Red Bull KTM Ajo came for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In his second KTM stint, Masia won three times in two seasons – finishing P4 and P6 in the overall standings – before then making a move back to Leopard Racing for 2023.
Three podiums in the first five outings was a good start to the year for the #5, but he had to wait until the Dutch GP to pocket a first win back in Leopard colours. Two no scores at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring then put a significant dent into his title charge, but Masia responded superbly by finishing P2 in Barcelona, P2 in Misano, winning in India and then again in Japan. The title dream was back on track.
Three non-podium finishes in a row didn’t halt Masia’s charge to World Championship leader status either, and having finished P3 in Malaysia, his first match point arrived in Qatar. The showdown was tense. Fighting at the front and with some seriously close exchanges between him and key rival Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) throughout, it all went down to the final lap. But Masia was able to stay ahead and take that fourth win of the year, securing the crown with another 25-point haul.
Enhorabuena, Jaume!
Stats
Aged 23 years 19 days old on race day at the Qatar GP, Jaume Masia is the second-oldest rider to clinch the Moto3™ title after Albert Arenas (23 years and 347 days old in 2020). In addition, he is the first rider to clinch the title after having made more than 100 Moto3™ starts.
This is the sixth time that a Honda rider has won the Moto3™ title, adding to the Championships won by Alex Marquez (2014), Danny Kent (2015), Joan Mir (2017), Jorge Martin (2018) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (2019).
Masia has won 10 times in Moto3™, and he is tied with Dennis Foggia third place on the list of riders with most wins in Moto3™ since 2012, behind Romano Fenati (13) and Joan Mir (11).
Masia has stood on the podium 27 times in the class, and he is the rider with second most Moto3™ podiums behind Romano Fenati (29).
Masia is the eighth Spanish rider to win the Moto3™ title since the introduction of the class in 2012.
Quotes
Jaume Masia: “I still don’t believe it. It’s something so big I can’t explain it right now at the moment. I feel like I am dreaming I don’t know if this is true or what because I’ve struggled all my life to achieve something like this. One can never imagine the feeling until you are close to it, until you take it with your hands. It’s still very fresh, so I don’t know what to say.”
How does that feel knowing you had doubts about your future after this season?
“In the end, to be world champion is one world. I still can’t comprehend how big it is.In the history books, I will always be the 2023 Moto3 World Champion with Leopard Racing. I think this is a dream come true. I would pay a lot to be world champion with this team. I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world right now. I only want to spend these days and these weeks with my family and enjoy this moment with everyone. I also want to enjoy the smell in my team, who deserve it even more than me.”How big a part of it has the team been this season?
“Yeah, I don’t think of them as crew chiefs or mechanics or whatever. I see them as good people and I see them like family I chose, so at the end to share this moment with them is amazing. I have had obviously some bad moments where we’ve had to be positive, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve been smiling a lot and there’s been lots of happiness and making jokes so for me it’s incredible to share this with them and to share with everyone. They appreciate me a lot I know every single one of them would lose their arm or their finger, or even their leg for me and to be world champion with me, so this is a really special moment.” -
Luca Marini strikes late to take pole position
A stunning qualifying session at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar bubbled up to an incredible crescendo on Saturday, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) striking late with a near-perfect lap to take pole position with a new lap record. He pipped Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) by just 0.067s, with Sepang Tissot Sprint winner Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) completing the front row.
The two title contenders both got bumped off that front row, but they aren’t far away by any means: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) takes P4 and has Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) right alongside in P5, with the duo split by just 0.022s. On Friday it was 0.007s, with incredible parity so far in the desert to set up two fascinating showdowns under the floodlights.
Q1
After the first runs in a star-studded Q1, it was Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) leading the way ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), after just losing out on making the cut in Practice, next up. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, was dead last despite topping FP2, having seen his hot lap interrupted by a front end save.
As soon as Quartararo headed back out though, the red sectors started coming in. Two tenths up in the first sector, nearly half a second in the second, and with company from Alex Marquez tucked in behind setting similar sectors too. As both crossed the line, the number 73 took 0.087 out of El Diablo as it became an AM73-FQ20 1-2 in Q1, and under the lap record. Could anyone beat it? Zarco could indeed, pipping Alex Marquez by just 0.055 as the two moved through, leaving Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Quartararo just missing out.
Q2
The first benchmark came from Diggia as two pairings made their way around: Bagnaia followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), slotting into fourth and fifth, and Martin behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). That nearly saw some drama as Martin tried to pass but couldn’t find a way through, but next time round with some more space, the number 89 put in a fast one and shot up to third behind Marini and Diggia at the top.
Then, Martin pulled back intp pitlane just as Bagnaia pulled back out of the garage, with… you guessed it, Marc Marquez for company once again. And the two were setting red sectors, but so was Diggia. The number 49 completed his second shot at it by cutting a stunning three and a half tenths off his own provisional pole time, setting the first ever 1:51 of Lusail.
Bagnaia was next and took over in second, two tenths off, with Marc Marquez not quite able to pip him to it but taking a provisional front row. The next assault was from Alex Marquez and it was CLOSE, with the number 73 making it a Gresini 1-2 to push Bagnaia down to third. Next up there were red sectors from Martin but the lap went away, and then it looked like Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing)) could challenge at the top before the Aprilia lost time in the final part of the lap.
But then came Marini. The Italian kept it absolutely pinned, just able to deny compatriot Diggia by 0.067s, and that was that after an awesome flurry of activity on the timesheets late on. Marini heads Diggia and Alex Marquez, with all three setting 1:51s and a second quicker than the 2021 lap record. The Independent Team riders shine under the floodlights, pushing the two contenders down to Row 2 as the penultimate 37 points of the year go up for grabs.THE GRID
Behind Marini, Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, the two contenders will be looking to make big gains from the off from Row 2, Bagnaia just 0.020 ahead of Martin. Zarco in sixth will be an interesting one to watch too.
Then comes Marc Marquez, Viñales and Friday’s fastest Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) on Row 3. Aleix Espargaro is down in P10 ahead of a Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) looking to make a classic Binder charge when the lights go out, the South African in P11. Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) locks out the Q2 crowd in P12.
After losing out in Q1, Bezzecchistarts P13 just ahead of Quartararo. Sepang winner Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is next up in P15, and after coming across Iker Lecuona (LCR Honda Castrol) on a hot lap in Q1. Lecuona has a three-place grid penalty for that. Miller heads Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) in P16 and P17 after the Australian also thought the Portugese rider held him up in a tight, tight Q1 -
Alex Marquez fends off Martin as Bagnaia defends against Bastianini
The Gresini rider steals the headlines as the title protagonists duke it out and Martin gains two points in a tense Sprint at Sepang.
Sepang, 11 Nov 2023: The final chapter of the 2023 Championship story is underway and the momentum swung a little more in the direction of the purple corner in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint. With Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) taking a classy, dominant victory and absolutely charging through to it too, that left Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to battle it out. And the former claimed P2, with polesitter Pecco having to settle for P3. Now, the gap ahead of Sunday’s race is just 11 points.
The rider who got the best start on the front row was actually Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), but the Beast played it to perfection for teammate Bagnaia (spoiler alert) as the Championship leader didn’t come under attack as he grabbed the holeshot and the number 23 slotted in behind. Alex Marquez struck soon after to take second though, with Martin shuffled down to fourth early doors.
Bagnaia led Alex Marquez led Martin as the number 89 hit back against Bastianini on Lap 1, and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was past the second factory Ducati not long after.
Heartrates then hit the roof at the end of Lap 2 as Alex Marquez went for a dive on Bagnaia for the lead at the final corner. The reigning Champion let the Gresini machine steam past and head wide, taking back the lead, and that left Alex Marquez nearly side by side with Martin instead, squabbling for second. The Gresini decisively grabbed it at Turn 1, however, and from there was able to start reeling Bagnaia back in.
He did just that, with Martin able to stay close and Bastainini coming back at them too, back past Miller, and with five to go Alex Marquez struck with a brutal, clean move for the lead. And then came Martin, the number 89 attacking Bagnaia almost immediately. The hammer went down.
That left Bastianini with some decisions, right on the tail of his teammate and Pecco looking to recover after losing two positions in fairly quick succession. There was another twist in the tale too as something white then appeared on the front fairing of the #1 Ducati, some debris stuck on the bike. But it didn’t last too long as the battle for third was allowed to continue regardless.
Bagnaia held on, and Bastianini may not have attacked, but he definitely put on some pressure and proved two points at once – his speed and a little team spirit, certainly in terms of avoiding too much risk. It almost cost him fourth too, with a late charge from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) saw the South African and the Beast nearly side-by-side over the line after a last corner squabble.
One second back from that battle was Miller as the Aussie kept himself within the mix for most of the Sprint to bring home a solid 6th-place finish. Another second back was Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), who fended off Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) to take 7th place. The Italian’s teammate Luca Marini took the final Sprint point in 9th ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) who rounded out the top 10.
As the title battle continues to rage on there’s no telling which way the pendulum will swing. The PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia still has plenty to give in the 2023 Championship story with 25 Grand Prix points up for grabs on Sunday and a gap of just 11 between the top two.
Can Bagnaia bounce back, or will Martin continue to apply the pressure? Find out at 15:00 local time (GMT +8)!
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Zarco takes maiden MotoGP win after an unbelievable finish at Phillip Island
The Frenchman catches Martin in a last lap rush, with Bagnaia slicing through to extend his lead to 27 points as the number 89 plummets to fifth. The MotoGP main race was held on Saturday due to bad weather forecast and the Sprint will be held on Sunday, weather permitting.
Philip Island, 21 October 2023: The backflip is back! Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) took a stunning maiden MotoGP win at the MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, stalking his way onto the rear wheel of teammate and title contender Jorge Martin before making a brutal, clean and perfectly-judged move to take the lead on the very last lap. He also opened the door for a perfectly-judged lunge from Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) too, with Pecco picking Martin’s pocket and the Pramac on the soft rear tyre then finding himself mobbed by both Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) late on.
As the dust settles and some more history is made, Zarco gives away his record as the rider with the most MotoGP podiums without a win, Martin licks his wounds as he faces down a 27-point deficit in the Championship, Bagnaia celebrates another stylish bounce back from Q1 to the podium… and ‘Diggia’ enjoys that sweet Prosecco of a first ever premier class podium.
Before all that, Binder threatened the holeshot with a great start but Martin held firm from pole, immediately getting the hammer down as the two shot off into the lead and the shuffle began just behind. And that was that. Except this time, it wasn’t.
Martin’s strategy was clear: the number 89, an incredible four tenths clear on pole, had gambled on the soft rear hanging on as he escaped at the front and nursed it home. And the strategy was absolutely perfect until the very last handful of laps, when the Jaws music really began and Martin’s odds dropped off a cliff as the chasing group closed in.
The gap was over three seconds when it was Binder trying to keep tabs, and after an impressive start from an impressive qualifying, next came Diggia, and then Bagnaia at the head of a serious battle for fourth. The reigning Champion led Zarco, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with elbows out all over the shop in the first third of the race.
Bit by bit as Martin edged clear in the lead, however, Binder held onto second but Diggia homed in on the KTM – and Bagnaia and Zarco started to create their own daylight to the duels behind them.
By 16 laps to go, Di Giannantonio had Binder well within a second and was only continuing to close in, but Bagnaia and Zarco had been able to go with the number 49. The gap kept see-sawing, however, with the Gresini machine homing in on the KTM and Bagnaia losing ground before another few laps would see it close back up. By nine laps to go, Di Giannantonio then made his move and pulled alongside the KTM on the Gardner straight, taking over in second.
The chase was on and the gap to Martin started to come down, but the number 49 wasn’t making the charge alone. Binder, Bagnaia AND Zarco were all locked together on the simple but difficult mission of catching the race leader, and that they started to do. But was it enough? When Binder attacked back with five laps to go, the group ran the risk of losing time in the battle but the gap was still coming down – just over two seconds across the start-finish line.
On the third to last lap, Martin’s advantage started to really tumble in tenths, with Binder still on the chase and Zarco now next in line as he’d taken over in third. Over the line with two to go it was 1.2 seconds, but Turn 4 saw another huge shuffle and another risk of losing time. But it was Zarco who went for a dress rehearsal and equally well-judged attack, snatching second place and quickly setting off after Martin.
Over the line for the last lap the number 89 had just four tenths left in hand ahead of his teammate, Bagnaia was now the bike behind Zarco and Binder had dropped to fifth. And again, it came at Turn 4. The number 5 slammed up the inside of Martin to take the lead, Bagnaia cut back in in a flash to also demote the number 89, and suddenly everything had changed: Zarco was just corners from a maiden MotoGP™ win, Bagnaia was on the verge of a huge change in momentum, and Martin was left trying to fend off Di Giannantonio and Binder.
That he could not. As Zarco crossed the finish line to take that first ever premier class win, Bagnaia took second and Di Giannantonio was more than able to grab third and his first MotoGP podium, with Binder ultimately also demoting Martin right on the finish line.
The battle behind was no slouch either. After elbows earlier in the race there were plenty more, with Bezzecchi slicing through to take sixth from Miller. Aleix Espargaro was even closer behind in eighth, ahead of a seriously impressive charge from the still-recovering Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP). Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the top ten ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) after Top Gun was shuffled down the order in a Turn 1 shuffle, and Marc Marquez, another gambler on the soft rear tyre, ultimately finished P15.
That’s that from a historic, unique and instantly iconic Saturday Grand Prix race at Phillip Island, and it’s Johann Zarco who writes his name into the historic books with a maiden MotoGP win. Bagnaia proved once again he can’t be written off, but Martin showed yet more pure speed. Now we look to the skies as we wait for Sunday, with races all set to start an hour early and fingers crossed for more awesome action Down Under if the weather holds out. See you on Sunday!
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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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Bezzecchi wins; Bagnaia crashes; That’s enough to tighten up the title-fight
A stunning turn of speed, a shocking crash, two duels to the wire and four factories in the top five: India spices up the Championship in style.
New Delhi, 24 Sept. 2023: Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) made a statement and a half as he destroyed the field at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit nere here on Sunday. The Italian put in a true masterclass to escape in the lead, coming home over eight seconds clear to scythe right back into the title-fight after some seriously hot pace.
The fight for the podium behind, if possible, was even hotter. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had to first contend with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the reigning Champion stalked and passed him, but there was a shocking crash out of second place for Pecco not long after, rider ok. There was then some drama as Martin lost time re-doing his leather suit after a Dashboard Message to do so after it was open… and by the end of the race, he was being absolutely hounded by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). The Pramac rider just held on after a stunning last lap duel, in doing so cutting Bagnaia’s Championship lead to just 13 points.
From left: Jorge Martin (2nd), Marco Bezzecchi (winner), Fabio Quartararo (3rd). The trio won the first Grand Prix of India at BIC on Sunday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Blink and you miss it
The top trio in the title fight led the way on Lap 1 as Martin and Bagnaia got lightning starts to jump polesitter Bezzecchi. Bagnaia was in full attack mode in to ensure Martin didn’t pull away.When Pecco went for a move on the brakes, Martin tried to resist but ran wide and dropped back, gifting Bagnaia the lead. Bezzecchi then saw his opportunity to make a move, and once he hit the front, he truly did not look back. As he put in searing lap after searing lap, the fight behind began to light up.
Martin made a lunge with 17 laps to go, and it was a brutal one – sitting up the Italian. But Bagnaia regrouped, and just behind them, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was trying all he could to put himself in the mix as he watched on from fourth place.
The first crash drama at the front hit for the number 93 though as he suffered an agonisingly slow off at Turn 1, getting straight back on but dropping right down out the points.
Next stop: more drama
In the fight for second, Martin tried all he could to break away but Bagnaia wasn’t going anywhere. The Italian made his move with eight laps to go with a poetic sweep past the number 89, but it wouldn’t last long.Soon after, the #1 machine suddenly slid out, with Pecco up and ok but remonstrating with himself in the gravel. And understandably so, with Bezzecchi leading Martin – the two closest in the title fight.
As the laps ticked down, Martin started to fade, lost time doing up his leathers, and then found himself right in the crosshairs of Quartararo on the last lap. The Frenchman struck and the battle was on, but Martin forced his way back past. Still, Quartararo tagged back onto the rear wheel and tried all he could to find a gap, running out of corners as the duo ultimately crossed the line split by almost nothing.
Last laps of the titans
We didn’t see much of the race leader Bezzecchi as he brought home an incredible victory, taking a 25-point chunk out of Bagnaia and his third win of the season. Behind, Martin held off Quartararo, and then came Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and another last lao scrap. He was embroiled in an epic battle with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) for 4th place and the South African got the better of the Spaniard, or more didn’t enable Mir to get the better of him, after flying his way through the pack from 13th on the grid. For Mir, however, it’s still a best result by far with Honda, and a return to the top five for the factory.UP CM who gave all support to GP of India presenting the trophy to Bezzecchi on Sunday at the Buddh International Circuit. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) bagged P6 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), the latter of whom was sent well wide at Turn 1 and had to dig in. Teammate Aleix Espargaro suffered a technical DNF.
On Marc Marquez watch, the number 93 made an incredible recovery to take ninth place, slicing back through the pack to finish seven seconds up the road from Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) who rounded out the top 10.
The Championship has been turned on its head once again in MotoGP™ as the first-ever IndianOil Grand Prix of India threw up an absolute treat. MotoGP™ now turns its attention to the Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan from the 29th of September to the 1st of October. See you there!
A huge Sunday crowd of 1,11,762 boxed into the 98k capacity of the BIC. -
Easy win for Bezzecchi at Grand Prix of India
New Delhi, 24 Sept. 2023: Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team won the Indian Oil Grand Prix of India, ahead of Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin with Yamaha Racing’s Fabio Quartararo coming in third.
At the start of the race, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Baganaia took off at the front of the pack, with Marco Bezzecchi second but in a trice, Bezzecchi hit the front with Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin being in the third place. Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was fourth with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the fifth place.
In the sixth lap, Marquez had a crash at the tricky Turn 1 but managed to rejoin the race.
Soon, Martin got ahead of Bagnaia and moved up to the second place. But all the while Bezzecchi had built a lead of about four seconds for himself, ahead of Martin.
Disaster struck later with Bagnaia crashing out of the race. This pushed Quartararo up to the third place. In the last few corners, Quartararo and Martin had a scrap and exchanged places but in the end, it was Martin who retained his second place with Bezzecchi winning.
Later, Martin was hit by the heat and was unable to attend the post-race press conference.
“I am very happy and it was a tough race and my bike was fantastic. My friend passed away a few days ago, so Filipo, this is for you,” said Bezzecchi.
“It was not easy for me. The heat had its effect.
“I started well and tried to stay calm and push, while trying to manage the tyres as well. I liked all parts of the track,” he added.
In reply to another question, he said: “I am not thinking about the championship I just want to enjoy the day. I like India and my heart goes out to the fans.”
Bagnaia has 292 points and leads the riders’ championship, while Martin has 279 and Bezzecchi has 248.
The start of the Moto2 race was a disaster with about five riders piling up and being involved in a crash at the treacherous first corner. Initially, the race was yellow flagged but then it was red flagged. The race restarted after about 15 minutes. There were a few crash incidents but in the end, Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Ajo won the race from Tony Abrolino of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, while Joe Roberts of the Italtrans Racing Team clinched the third spot.
“It was a hard race. The bike was good and this is one more for the pocket. Thanks to everybody,” said Acosta.
The Moto3 race was a pretty straightforward one with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) leading the proceedings from almost the beginning. Colin Veijer, who was running second, crashed out just two corners before the chequered flag, with Masia taking the honours. Kaita Toba of SIC58 Squadra Corse finished second, while Ayumu Sasaki of the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP team finished third in the race. Masia is second in the championship, with Daniel Holgado leading the championship with 174 points. Masia is on 174 points but is second.
Bollywood actors John Abraham and Ranveer Singh, Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh visited the circuit and praised the facilities and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid a visit to the Buddh International Circuit and watched the proceedings.
If rumours are to be believed, the organisers have already confirmed the race for 2024.
The total attendance at the Grand Prix on Sunday was 1,11,762.
