The Spaniard took the lead in the World Championship by winning this Saturday in the sprint.
A takeover. Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) dislodged Italian Francesco Bagnaia from the lead in the general classification of the MotoGP World Championship by winning the sprint on Saturday at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok. Under intense heat (32°C) and under the sun, Marin, who started on the 2nd row, with the 6th time, once again showed that he was the king of the discipline by winning his fourth sprint in a row , after a success two weeks ago in Japan. With 328 points, Martin is ahead of Bagnaia, rider of the official Ducati team, by 7 lengths, while he was 3 points behind before the sprint. Martin will try to increase the gap on Sunday (9:00 a.m.) during the Grand Prix.
Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), who started in 4th position, lost a place to cross the line in 5th, while Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) finished 12th. “Starting 6th wasn’t the best but I was able to do a lot of overtaking, Fabio and Brad… It was difficult to win because Luca was really fast», commented Martin. “Taking these points is really great and now we are in front and I am very happy. We will try to do the same tomorrow», added the 25-year-old Madrid native. This is the first time that the Spaniard has climbed into the leadership chair in the general classification of the World Championship, which has included two others this season, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi.
The Italian Luca Marini (Ducati-VR46), who started in pole position, took 2nd place ahead of his transalpine partner Marco Bezzechhi, who reached the podium only a week after an operation for a broken collarbone. “What’s incredible is the feeling I have with the bike. I feel very comfortable and I felt good», began Marini at the end of the sprint. Marini also fractured his right collarbone during the Indian GP three weeks ago and was making his return to competition
For Bezzecchi, the story is beautiful: the Italian was injured last Saturday during training at the ranch of Valentino Rossi, the owner of the VR46 team, and was operated on on Sunday for a broken collarbone. Arriving on Friday before the first tests, the driver received the green light from the doctors but crashed in the first laps on Friday morning, fortunately without seriousness. “Until Friday I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to start. It’s fantastic to be here although I was a bit lucky, I was also very fast“, declared the Italian who wanted to thank “Carlo (his trainer) and Doctor Porcellini who allowed me to be here“. Bezzecchi with 272 points is 49 points behind Bagnaia in the general classification.
I had good feelings but starting 14th it was difficult to get a good result.
Johann Zarco
The six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, who formalized his departure from the Honda team on Thursday to join his brother Alex next season in the Italian team Gresini, Ducati’s satellite team, was less happy in Indonesia by falling quite early, without being able to finish. Earlier in the day, the qualifications which determine the starting grid for both the sprint and the GP on Sunday, did not smile on Johann Zarco, who started on the grid with the 14th time. “You shouldn’t have expected it (miracles). Over 13 laps it got very complicated. We can’t try things that are too extreme. But I got off to a great start», he commented for Canal+. “I had good feelings but starting 14th it was difficult to get a good result».
