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Francesco Bagnaia Secures Sprint Victory at Barcelona Grand Prix
In a thrilling display at the Barcelona Grand Prix sprint, Francesco Bagnaia claimed a decisive victory, besting Enea Bastianini and fellow championship contender Jorge Martin. This win furthers Bagnaia’s aspirations, propelling the title race into the final MotoGP event of the 2024 season, scheduled for Sunday.
Despite a less-than-ideal start, Bagnaia, riding for the Ducati factory team, demonstrated skill and strategy to secure first place in Saturday’s half-distance sprint race. His performance allowed him to gain five points on Martin, who fell to Bastianini in a dramatic final lap showdown.
Currently, the standings show Bagnaia and Martin only 19 points apart, heightening the stakes for the upcoming grand prix, where 25 points are still available.
The 12-lap sprint commenced with an impressive launch from Bastianini, who advanced from eighth on the grid to seize the lead at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Martin briefly surged ahead of Bagnaia, the polesitter, only for Bagnaia to reclaim his position with a swift maneuver at the right-hander.
Martin made another attempt to overtake Bagnaia at Turn 3, but Bagnaia not only defended his position but also took the lead from Bastianini, showcasing his racing acumen.
This left Martin and Bastianini locked in a battle for second place, which saw Martin momentarily ahead at the start of lap 3. However, this was short-lived as Bastianini quickly reacted and regained his position on the following lap.
The tussle was ultimately settled on lap 5 when Martin executed a bold move to overtake Bastianini at Turn 1, forcing both riders wide and allowing others to close in.
As the race unfolded, Bastianini had to focus on defending against Franco Morbidelli, while Martin managed to create a gap from them, enabling him to relax a bit as Bagnaia surged ahead, establishing a lead of more than a second.
In the closing laps, though Bagnaia’s advantage dwindled slightly, Martin felt the heat from Bastianini, who was eager to capitalize on any mistake. During the last lap, Martin took defensive measures at the initial corners, but Bastianini executed a clean move at Turn 5, pushing Martin down to third.
Bagnaia’s victory was paramount, allowing him to maintain his championship ambitions, while Martin followed behind Bastianini in third place.
In a noteworthy performance, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro started in second but encountered difficulties that saw him fall to eighth on the first lap. He managed to rally back to finish fourth, aided by an error from Gresini’s Alex Marquez, who dropped down the order after running wide at Turn 10.
Morbidelli concluded the sprint in sixth place after a brief challenge for the podium, while six-time champion Marc Marquez faced his own hurdles, finishing seventh after clashing with Pedro Acosta’s Tech3 GasGas bike at the race’s onset. Acosta ultimately had to retire due to damage from the incident.
KTM’s Brad Binder, starting from 18th, emerged as the best finisher for the Pierer Mobility Group, managing to secure a point in ninth place, closely trailing VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi.
The clash among Japanese manufacturers concluded with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo finishing in 10th, ahead of LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco.
MotoGP Barcelona GP – Sprint results
Source
www.autosport.com