ALCANIZ: Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez stormed to victory at the Aragon Grand Prix in front of his home crowd on Sunday as the polesitter and sprint winner completed a perfect weekend, while Francesco Bagnaia crashed out after a clash with Alex Marquez.

The 31-year-old Mar­quez, who claimed his eighth Aragon pole on Saturday, took the chequered flag almost five seconds ahead of fellow Spaniard and world championship leader Jorge Martin for his first win since the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Marquez soaked up the moment with a victory lap, hopping off his bike to kiss the ground and perform an impromptu dance in front of his ecstatic supporters.

“Amazing race” he beamed. “It’s incredible to win in front of the fans. With all the pace, it was difficult to focus riding the last 10 laps.”

Red Bull GasGas Tech3’s 20-year-old Pedro Acosta completed the podium after Italy’s twice MotoGP champion Bagnaia collided with Marquez’s brother Alex on lap 19 of the 23-lap race.

The crash helped Martin extend his lead over second-placed Bag­naia in the riders’ championship to 23 points ahead of next weekend’s San Marino MotoGP in Santa Monica-Cella, Italy.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2024