Jorge Martin won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Sepang, in Malaysia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard rider won the 10-lap race by 0.913 seconds.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the runner-up on his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
Enea Bastianini finished third on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
For the championship, Bagnaia is now 29 points behind his principal rival Martin who has 465 points. M.Marquez is third with 365 points.
Classification sprint race motogp sepang
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Martin supreme to set up match point on Sunday as Bagnaia slides out at Sepang. The #89 celebrated a stellar win on Saturday, claiming 12 points and stretching the title lead to 29 points after Bagnaia crashed out.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) has claimed a crucial Tissot Sprint victory at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia – securing the maximum 12 points available. The #89 won by 0.913s over Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who made a strong start from P5 – maintaining his gap to the Championship leader in the closing stages. Meanwhile, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) took third in what was a crucial day for the Championship after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed out on Lap 3. The Italian’s mistake allowed Martin to increase his lead to 29 points – setting up for match point on Sunday.
As the lights went out, #TheRematch as Martin made a breathtaking start, seizing control of the Tissot Sprint at Turn 1. Tension was high during the opening lap, with the #89 making an incredible start from P2 on the grid as Bagnaia and Marc Marquez remained in hot pursuit.
Martin instantly put the hammer down, applying maximum pressure on Bagnaia, who had to close the gap. The #1 worked hard in the opening laps, beginning to edge closer to the Championship leader at every sector until he was glued onto Martin’s tailpipe – the title fight was on.
However on Lap 3, Bagnaia’s title defence took a huge blow, with #1 making a crucial mistake at Turn 9 – losing the front and crashing out of second. The Ducati Lenovo team could not believe their eyes as Bagnaia was forced to watch the remainder of the Sprint from the sidelines. It was a massive error which handed Martin a 29 point lead in the Championship after Bagnaia scored zero.
Bagnaia’s mistake caused a huge shake-up in the top three, with Marc Marquez now in second and Bastianini in third. It was an incredible start from ‘The Beast’ – battling from P6 on the grid. Bastianini built a strong gap over Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with the #73 remaining in fourth after locking in an incredible front row start.
Martin had to keep his focus, leading the field by less than one second as Marc Marquez continued to put pressure on the #89. The leaders continued to run a hot pace, with the top three riders remaining consistent and maintaining their margins during an intense 10 lap showdown.
Further back, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) made some ground at the start, latching onto the back of Jack Miller’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) RC16. It was a thrilling battle for the final points on offer between the Pierer Mobility riders, with the rookie looking for an opportunity to pounce.
In the closing stages, Martin stayed composed, charging to win the Sprint, securing the maximum 12 points available. The #89 finished 0.913s ahead of Marc Marquez and Bastianini. Martin now has a chance to clinch the World Championship on Sunday if he earns nine more points than Bagnaia.
Alex Marquez grabbed fourth spot, setting sights on a Sunday podium in Malaysia after beating Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), with the Frenchman rounding out the top five positions. It was another stunning ride from the #20, who ends Saturday ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing). Meanwhile, Brad Binder claimed bragging rights at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, finishing in seventh ahead of Miller. The Australian was able to hold onto eighth place after continuing to fend off Acosta in the closing laps.
After another twist in the Tissot Sprint, make sure you join us as the world’s most exciting sport returns for the Malaysian Grand Prix, with lights out at 15:00 local time (UTC +8) as Martin prepares for match point!