Marc Marquez made the most of mixed conditions to win second MotoGP race on the bounce in San Marino GP from Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.
It started to be damp at the start of MotoGP race in San Marino GP at Misano as the race officials allowed for a bike swap due to the rain falling. They started off on their main bike in dry overcast conditions as Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia led the way.
The first lap saw the Pramac Ducati riders fight it out but Jorge Martin took second from Franco Morbidelli, as GASGAS Tech 3’s Pedro Acosta and KTM’s Brad Binder made places to be fourth and fifth, ahead of Ducati’s Enea Bastianini.
The Italian made contact with Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez but they both managed to continue in sixth and seventh, as VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi dropped from front row to ninth behind KTM’s Jack Miller, with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the Top 10.
The fight at the front ensued when Martin tried to pass Bagnaia but had to take evasive action. Acosta tried a move on Morbidelli when they made contact and the Spaniard lost part of his fairing, as Bastianini passed Binder to be fifth with M Marquez too on his tail.
He cleared Binder too with Bezzecchi in the mix. The rain started to fall as Acosta took a tumble but was able to continue. The greasy conditions caught out Morbidelli who dropped out, when Bagnaia continued to lead but Martin pitted to swap bikes.
The Aprilia contingent pitted to swap as well as Tech 3’s Augusto Fernandez crashed out. The damp conditions got the pack together when M Marquez stormed into the lead from Bagnaia and Miller, who also made up a good chunk of positions.
Binder was fourth from Bastianini, A Marquez, Quartararo and Bezzecchi. With the conditions starting to dry out after the rain stopped, Martin swapped back to the dry bike and was a lap down along with the others who stopped for rain bike.
M Marquez continued to lead from Bagnaia, as Bastianini was back up to third after getting his pace back. Miller was fourth from A Marquez, Binder, Bezzecchi, Quartararo, VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio and KTM’s Pol Espargaro in the Top 10.
Trackhouse Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira was 11th from LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco & Takaaki Nakagami, Honda’s Stefan Bradl and Martin in the Top 15. The Spaniard was running in points despite the two stops, as the German was lone factory Honda representative.
As things settled down, it was M Marquez in the lead from Bagnaia and Bastianini, with the Top 3 stretched away from A Marquez who passed both the KTM riders. Binder was fifth ahead of Miller, Bezzecchi, Quartararo, di Giannantonio and Espargaro in the Top 10.
M Marquez made it two MotoGP wins in a row after a spectacular ride where he passed Bagnaia in tricky conditions which was the crucial move to take the top step in San Marino GP at Misano. His to-be teammate had to be content with second after trying hard.
Bastianini was a distant third to round out the podium, as Binder climbed up to fourth from Bezzecchi, who passed A Marquez on the penultimate lap with the Spaniard having to settle for sixth ahead of Quartararo in seventh, who made a late pass on Miller.
Di Giannantonio was ninth from P Espargaro in the Top 10, as Oliveira, Zarco, Nakagami, Bradl and Martin, who resisted late pressure from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales for the final point but both finishing a lap down to the leaders.
Vinales was 16th from Acosta, Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez and Yamaha’s Alex Rins to round out the 19 finishers.