Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia said it was “simply fantastic” to pick up his second Grand Prix win of the season at Jerez after an intense late-race duel with Marc Marquez.
Bagnaia was one of several riders caught out by the weeping, damp track surface in Spain during Saturday’s Sprint race, crashing out and seeing title rival Jorge Martin win to extend the lead at the top of the Riders’ standings.
However, the Italian was able to bounce back in fine fashion on Sunday, executing an incredible opening lap to go from seventh on the grid to battling from the lead by Lap 2 of the Grand Prix.
The factory Ducati rider was then able to capitalize when Martin crashed from the lead before fending off a hard-charging Marquez in an ‘elbows-out’ battle to decide the outcome of the race.
“It was simply fantastic,” said Bagnaia of the win.
“We needed such a win, not only for myself but also for the team and everybody working with me.
“It was a very intense race, and it was crucial to make it to the lead on lap one.
“The overtake on the outside was really a nice one, I enjoyed it a lot.”
With Martin out of the picture, Bagnaia had to contend with rubbing shoulders with the determined Marquez aboard the #93 Gresini machine.
On Laps 21 and 22 the pair swapped positions through Turns 9, 10 and 11 of the Jerez circuit, with Bagnaia prevailing on both occasions.
The Italian then put in a stunning race record lap on ageing tyres on Lap 23 of 25 to settle the fight for victory.
“The race was decided in the last five laps,” said Bagnaia.
“When Marc closed the gap I only tried to wait and fend off his attacks straight away and after his second attempt I decided to push as hard as I could in order to create a safety margin up to the finish line.
“I managed to set the fastest lap at the end, and everything went perfectly.
“I’m really happy: this is my third consecutive win in the full race here and that makes everything even more special.”
The win amid a DNF for Martin elevated Bagnaia’s standing in the Championship table.
Going into Sunday’s race, Bagnaia was 42 points adrift of championship leader Martin’s 92 points, but the Spaniard’s error combined with Bagnaia’s win means the gap has been cut to just 17 heading into the next round at Le Mans.
