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Alex Marquez victorious as Martin closes in on Bagnaia
Alex Marquez victorious as Martin closes in on Bagnaia
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, it left Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to battle it out as the former claimed P2, with polesitter Pecco having to settle for P3. Now, the gap ahead of Sunday's race is just 11 points.
It was a cracking start for the Ducati factory duo as Bagnaia led teammate Enea Bastianini into Turn 1, but Alex Marquez quickly joined the party into the first corner as he slotted himself into P3 to pick off Bastianini for P2 a few corners later. Martin had dropped down to 4th place on Lap 1 but pounced on Bastianini in the final sector. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Brad Binder and Jack Miller took advantage as they quickly followed pursuit and demoted the Italian further.
Bagnaia held strong in the lead until the end of the second lap when a last-corner dive bomb from Alex Marquez saw the Spaniard briefly take the lead for half a corner. Having ran wide the #73 then fell into the clutches of Martin who was eager to latch onto his title rival Bagnaia. The pair swapped and changed positions over the next few corners until Marquez eventually made a move stick on his compatriot and set his sights on the race leader.
Marquez kept the pressure on as Bagnaia could feel the Gresini rider breathing down his neck with the chequered flag drawing closer and closer. Marquez made his move with four and a half laps remaining, which invited Martin to pounce on Pecco who had no answer for either of the Spaniards. Marquez put the hammer down in the lead and began to stretch out the leading group. The Gresini rider was untouchable at the front as he went on to take victory by an impressive 1.589s.
- motogp.com
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MotogpAlex Marquez victorious as Martin closes in on Bagnaia
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.
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