MOTEGI: Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia won MotoGP’s Japanese Grand Prix sprint on Saturday after leader Pedro Acosta crashed out with four laps to go, reducing his gap with championship leader Jorge Martin, who finished fourth, to 15 points.

Rookie Acosta, who took pole earlier in the day, had overtaken Bagnaia on the third lap to take the lead, but lost control near turn seven, losing the opportunity to win his first MotoGP sprint.

Bagnaia, who moved to 357 points ahead of Sunday’s race, fought off second-placed Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini by 0.181 seconds amid occasional rains in Motegi.

Pramac Racing’s Martin, who started from the 11th position on the grid after crashing during the qualifying session, started well to take the fifth position in the first lap, facing pressure from Marc Marquez, who eventually overtook him.

Marquez, who lost his lap record for going off track in the qualifying session, momentarily took second place from Bastianini, third in the championship, but he recovered to leave Marquez third.

LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami crashed out of his home grand prix sprint after a collision with teammate Johann Zarco, while Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder, sixth in the championship, quit due to an issue with his bike.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2024