(Reuters) – In the Qatar Grand Prix sprint, Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing emerged victorious, narrowing Francesco Bagnaia’s lead in the world championship to just seven points. This was after Bagnaia, riding for Ducati, finished fifth at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday.
Starting from the fifth position, Martin displayed his aggressive racing skills as he triumphed ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio from Gresini Racing, while Luca Marini of VR46 Racing secured the final place on the podium.
Martin’s win also ensures that MotoGP will have back-to-back final round title deciders for the first time, with the season concluding in Valencia next weekend.
Bagnaia appeared to struggle with grip on his rear tyre, making it difficult for him to catch up with the leaders, ultimately finishing behind Gresini’s Alex Marquez.
“I felt I was going to be strong today. I was behind Marquez and Pecco (Bagnaia) and they’re amazing riders, but I had the pace,” Martin said after winning his eighth sprint of the season.
Marini, who started from the pole position, took the lead into turn one, with Martin quickly moving up to third. However, Bagnaia overtook him to sit behind second-placed Marquez.
The battle for position between Bagnaia and Martin began from turn one, with the two riders making contact a few times. Martin eventually moved up to third on the second lap by elbowing past his fellow title contender, leaving Bagnaia searching for answers as the top four riders pulled away.
Martin then set his sights on Alex Marquez and Marini, overtaking both riders to claim the lead after executing well-timed overtakes on one lap.
Meanwhile, Di Giannantonio, who had set a lap record in qualifying that was later broken by Marini, overtook his Italian compatriot to put pressure on Martin. This move contributed to the race’s excitement and competitiveness.
Marini, reflecting on his performance, said, “I tried to push a lot to close the gap but they were faster than me today. We need to find something for the race tomorrow, I was struggling for grip with the rear tyre. Every time there is no grip, Jorge does well.”
With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio was right on Martin’s tail but Martin maintained his composure and crossed the finish line first, securing the victory.
“Jorge was doing a great job in sectors two and three. Incredible race, I was pushing so hard to catch him,” Di Giannantonio remarked.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
