MISANO ADRIATICO: Francesco Bagnaia won an exciting sprint race at the Emilia-Romagna MotoGP on Saturday to cut championship rival Jorge Martin’s lead at the top of the riders’ standings.

Ducati’s Bagnaia is four points behind Pramac rider Martin ahead of Sunday’s main event Grand Prix, after winning his fourth sprint of the season with a brilliant overtake manoeuvre which highlighted why he is reigning champion.

Starting from pole position at Misano Adriatico as he did on his home track for the San Marino MotoGP a fortnight ago, Bagnaia looked to have given up the victory when he was overtaken by Martin before the first corner.

But this time the Italian was not riding with pain killers and fought back, drawing roars from the crowd when he surged past Martin with five of the 13 laps remaining and held on for the win.

Bagnaia is set to race in his 100th MotoGP and he has had a near perfect weekend so far, breaking his own track record twice in practice and qualifying and claiming maximum points from the sprint.

He was 23 points behind Martin after crashing out of the Aragon MotoGP but if he wins Sunday’s GP he will take the championship lead.

Martin said that a track limits warning caused him to lose focus and leave the opening that Bagnaia, whose best lap was only seven-tenths of a second slower than the track record he posted in qualifying, ruthlessly exploited.

“When I got a track limits warning I made a small mistake which was the key for losing the race,” said Martin.

“Pecco was unstoppable today, I think maybe for tomorrow I will be a bit stronger, we will find the way to came back with a victory.”

Martin has at least pulled further away from Marc Marquez as the six-time MotoGP champion is now 56 points off the lead after finishing fourth, with Enea Bastianini taking third place.

Bastianini, who will be replaced by Marquez at Ducati’s factory team next season, is 64 points behind Martin ahead of Sunday’s GP.

Marquez had pulled himself back into the title hunt after winning the last two GPs and the sprint in Aragon, where Bagnaia crashed out.

But he crashed in practice and qualifying on Saturday and couldn’t gain any points on Martin in the standings

after starting seventh on the grid.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2024