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MotoGP: Bagnaia passes Binder to win Spanish GP after red flag

  • Darshan Chokhani
    • MotoGP, Spanish GP

    Francesco Bagnaia took the MotoGP win in Spanish GP from KTM pair of Brad Binder and Jack Miller after red flag.

    The MotoGP Spanish GP at Jerez started off well for the KTM pair where Jack Miller initially took the lead but Brad Binder got past him for it with Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin behind him in third with pole-sitter Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro dropping down.

    But it was short-lived after a collision involving VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira. The Frenchman was sandwiched in the corner and took the Portuguese along with him on the gravel.

    The race was red-flagged after Oliveira had to be take away into the medical center with an arm injury. While Bezzecchi could move out on his bike, Quartararo was given a lift to the pits and declared fit to start the race which was said to run for 24 laps. Post investigation, Quartararo was handed a Long Gap Penalty for irresponsible riding.

    Post red flag –

    The re-start in MotoGP Spanish GP saw another KTM lead with Binder getting the better of Miller whereas Martin was third from Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia. Aprilia’s Espargaro was fifth from VR46’s Luca Marini as KTM’s Dani Pedrosa had a better run in seventh.

    Pramac’s Johann Zarco was eighth from Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales in the Top 10. At the front, Miller got the lead from Binder but then lost it in couple of laps as then lost second to Bagnaia who got the better of Martin.

    There was a moment between Miller and Martin too in the fight for third, where the Pramac rider lost to Espargaro. Behind them, Zarco was up to sixth from Marini, Marquez, Pedrosa and Vinales in the Top 10 after a wide moment for the Aprilia rider.

    While Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli served his Long Gap Penalty, Quartararo did so but was incorrect. Meanwhile, Bagnaia was asked to give back the place to Miller after the steward reckoned the Italian barged his way through irresponsibly.

    It allowed Binder to stretch out with Miller in second from Bagnaia, Espargaro and Martin in Top 5. The rest of the pack were steady too with Zarco in sixth from Marini, Pedrosa, Marquez and Vinales, as VR46’s Bezzecchi was 11th from LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami.

    His teammate Alex Rins had a crash and rejoined but eventually retired. His former teammate Joan Mir, though, had another crash on his Honda. The points place then had Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio, Tech 3 GASGAS’ Augusto Fernandez and Quartararo.

    At the front, Binder had a good lead and after another fight Miller had his nose ahead of Bagnaia, but not for long. A wide moment allowed the Italian to get past him as the Australian came under pressure from Martin, who cleared Espargaro along with Zarco.

    The Frenchman didn’t go further after a crash with Bezzecchi also suffering the same. It allowed Espargaro to be fifth from Marini, Pedrosa, Vinales, Marquez, Nakagami, di Giannantonio, Quartararo, Fernandez, Morbidelli and Honda’s Stefan Bradl.

    At the front, Bagnaia closed in on Binder and eventually passed him for the MotoGP Spanish GP lead with few laps remaining. Despite the South African pressing hard, the Italian kept it to win the MotoGP race in Spanish GP.

    Miller made it a MotoGP sprint podium repeat with Martin ending up fourth from Espargaro, Marini, Pedrosa and Marquez in the Top 8 as Vinales lost his bike’s chains on the final lap to retire which allowed Nakagami to be ninth ahead of Quartararo.

    Teammate Morbidelli was 11th from di Giannantonio, Fernandez, Bradl and RNF’s Raul Fernandez in the Top 15 points places. Honda’s Iker Lecuona missed out in 16th from Tech3’s Jonas Folger being the last of the 17 finishers.

    DNF: Vinales, Bezzecchi, Zarco, Rins, Mir, Oliveira