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MotoGP: Martin reduces points gap after San Marino GP win

MotoGP, Jorge Martin

Jorge Martin, Tissot Sprint race, San Marino MotoGP 9 September 2023 // Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202309090218 // Usage for editorial use only //

Jorge Martin led the way from start to finish in MotoGP win in San Marino GP ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia.

It was a clean start from pole-sitter Jorge Martin in his Pramac Ducati machine in the MotoGP main race in San Marino GP as Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia passed VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzechi to be third with KTM’s Dani Pedrosa staying put in fourth.

His teammate Brad Binder passed Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales for fifth as RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira was up to seventh from Honda’s Marc Marquez who was ahead of Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez and VR46’s Luca Marini in the Top 10.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro dropped to 11th from Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, RNF’s Raul Fernandez, Ducati’s Michele Pirro and Pramac’s Johann Zarco in the Top 15 where the order changed as the race progressed. At the front, meanwhile, it was a close fight.

Martin had Bagnaia and Bezzecchi on his tail with Binder clearing teammate Pedrosa and joining the chasing pack. Bezzecchi managed to clear Bagnaia for second but a wide moment allowed the VR46 rider to retake second and hold it.

But behind them, Binder had a small crash which put him off the podium chance. He managed to rejoin the race but it was done with Pedrosa in fourth from Vinales. Marquez, meanwhile, cleared Oliveira to be sixth with A Marquez in eighth.

They were close with Marini in ninth from Fernandez who climbed up the order. Zarco too gained places to be 11th from Espargaro, Quartararo, Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli and GASGAS Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro in the Top 15 points places.

They gained places after a crash between KTM’s Jack Miller and Ducati’s Michele Pirro in Sector 1 which also caught out Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio. The incident will be reviewed after the race, as Honda’s Joan Mir also crashed in the same corner the next lap.

It was clean run for next set of laps until a crash for P Espargaro from 15th when his teammate Augusto Fernandez gained that place but not for long as a recovering Binder took it away quickly. At the front, Martin started to extend his lead.

Bagnaia started to drop pace which allowed Bezzecchi to pounce on him. The latter made a quick work to take second, with Pedrosa not far off in fourth. While Vinales had fourth, Oliveira came back on Marquez to retake sixth with Fernandez clearing A Marquez.

At the front, Martin had it under control to win the MotoGP race in San Marino GP to close the gap in the title fight as Bezzecchi was second from Bagnaia, who resisted late pressure from Pedrosa who shone in his wildcard run at Misano.

Vinales was a distant fifth from Oliveira as Marquez was seventh from Fernandez and Marini in late fight. Zarco was 10th after passing A Marquez on the final lap with Espargaro in 12th from Quartararo, Binder and Morbidelli in the points places.

Fernandez was 16th from di Giannantonio, Honda’s Stefan Bradl and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami among the 19 finishers. DNF: Espargaro, Mir, Pirro, Miller.

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