The Spanish Jorge Martín (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) has added his third victory of the season by winning a MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at the “Mobility Resort” Motegi circuit in which up to two red flags for very bad conditions atmospheric in the area.
In addition to the two red flags, Race Direction decided in the second of them that all the points at stake were awarded to the drivers classified at the the first flag having been shown red when more than half of the distance of the competition, which was twenty-four laps, had already been completed and it stopped on the thirteenth.
With Jorge Martín on the podium, the world leader, the Italian Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Desmosedici GP23), who only has three points ahead of the Spanish, and with the also Spanish Marc Márquez (Honda RC 213 V), in third place.
Uncertainty loomed over the MotoGP starting line-up as the first drops of rain began to fall, which generated significant doubt among all the riders and teams about the compounds to choose. well not even Career Direction
Despite everything, we proceeded to the start and Jorge Martín (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) was the fastest in it, followed by the Australian KTM rider, Jack Miller and with the world leader, the Italian Francesco “Pecco “Bagnaia (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) in third position ahead of the Spanish Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia RS-GP).
Already in the first corner there was an accident in which the Italian Marco Bezzecchi, with Maverick Viñales and Johann Zarcowhile the Race Direction declared the race wet, as it began to rain more intensely and showed a white flag.
That warning was the permission for all the pilots, in unison, to enter at the end of the first lap to change their bikes for those equipped with wet tires, except for the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha YZR M 1), the Italians Michele Pirro ( Ducati Desmosedici GP23) and Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha YZR M 1) and the Yamaha tester, the British Cal Crutchlow.
Quartararo entered the next lap, knowing his mistake, but it was too late and he was far behind, as he then entered Stefan Bradl.
At the head of the race and already with the water settings, Jorge Martín tried to command the race, but made a mistake and left the track to return in eighth position, while setting the race pace Michelle Pirro, who was one of the last to change motorcycleswith which Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia RS-GP) inherited first place on the fourth lap, ahead of Marc Márquez (Honda RC 213 V).
Espargaró, who broke one of his engines in the sprint race, began to push hard to try to open a gap that would guarantee him victory, while Marc Márquez could not withstand the attack of “Pecco” Bagnaia and Jorge Martín who recovered the ground lost in a truly spectacular way.
And, if in one part of the circuit Marco Bezzecchi overtook Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín did the same with Aleix Espargaró to take the lead of the race on the sixth lap, in that same lap the South African Brad Binder (KTM RC) went down. 16).
Once Jorge Martín became the leader, Bagnaia had no choice but to attack Aleix Espargaró to go after him and prevent him from leaving again alone on the way to victory.
The track conditions were not the most appropriate due to the rain, but Aleix Espargaró, the only one who chose the soft rear compound, gradually lost positions, surpassed by Bezzecchi, and the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia RS-GP).
Jorge Martín could not consolidate a clear advantage over Bagnaia, eight tenths of a second in the eighth of the twenty-four scheduled laps, with a very stretched group led by Bezzecchi that also included Oliveira, Marc Márquez, Aleix Espargaró, Jack Miller , who shortly after avoided being hit by his motorcycle, but lost several positions in the incident, and Joan Mir, among others.
With Jorge Martín consolidated in first position, “Pecco” Bagnaia was approached from behind by Bezzecchi, Marc Márquez, Aleix Espargaró and Miguel Oliveira, who gave up ground by going long on a line.
Marc Márquez did not give up and on the twelfth lap he attacked and overtook Marco Bezzecchi to take third and leave in search of getting closer to Bagnaia and Martín, from whom he subtracted seven tenths of a second in that turn.
But, due to the insistence of the rain, many puddles began to form in some areas of the track that forced the Race Direction to show a red flag to stop the race due to the poor conditions of the asphalt when Jorge Martín was the leader ahead of “Pecco” Bagnaia and Marc Márquez.
With the red flag waving on the track, the Frenchman Johann Zarco crashed, leaving his Ducati completely destroyed.
2023-10-01 05:30:59
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