San Marino MotoGP, Misano – Race Results

*Rookie.

Jorge Martin completes a perfect Misano double to chip more points away from Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP title lead.

In a repeat of yesterday’s Sprint, Marco Bezzecchi and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium, the reigning champion again keeping KTM wild-card Dani Pedrosa at bay for third.

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Once again, the Ducatis of Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi were soon filling the top three places.

But this time, reigning champion Bagnaia was ahead of Bezzecchi for second and showing an early front wheel to Saturday winner Martin.

The Pramac rider absorbed the pressure and Bagnaia instead came under attack from Bezzecchi after half-a-dozen laps. The back and forth between the local stars gave Martin the chance to make an early escape.

That didn’t happen, but Martin kept calm and pulled clear in the final ten laps as recent injuries perhaps took their toll on Bagnaia and Bezzecchi.

Riding in a special yellow livery, Bagnaia was most in trouble, losing second to Bezzecchi and then – in a repeat of the Sprint – facing a late attack from KTM wild-card Pedrosa.

Without a podium since Valencia 2017, Pedrosa and his experimental RC16, featuring a carbon fibre chassis, inched ever closer to Bagnaia as the laps counted down.

The Spaniard appeared cautious when locked to Bagnaia’s rear wheel on Saturday, aware that a fumbled pass could have championship consequences.

The grand prix podium came down to a carbon copy showdown – and again Bagnaia offered no room for a late Pedrosa pass.

Brad Binder made a much better start than yesterday and, after passing KTM team-mate Pedrosa, caught the Ducati trio. But it counted for nothing when the South African ed on lap 8, dealing another blow to his title hopes.

Shortly after, team-mate Jack Miller appeared to be taken down by Ducati wild-card Michele Pirro. The incident will be reviewed after the race.

Most riders switched from to the medium rear tyre for the longer 27-lap grand prix, after choosing the soft for Sprint. Except the five Hondas, who felt they had nothing to lose by sticking with the soft.

Marc Marquez benefitted from Binder’s fall to reach sixth and was catching the Aprilia of fifth place Maverick Vinales as the laps counted down. But the soft rubber looked to suffer in the final laps, when Marquez lost out on sixth to Miguel Oliveira and nearly Luca Marini, who made a last lap lunge but ran wide.

The next best Honda was wild-card Stefan Bradl, in 18th. Marquez’s Repsol Honda team-mate Joan Mir ed out, again. GASGAS Tech3’s Pol Espargaro also joined the DNF list after a fifth accident of the weekend.

A day of official testing will take place at the circuit on Monday, when Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo will get their first taste of the 2024 prototypes from Honda and Yamaha, respectively.

“4

After a weekend off, MotoGP will head for India and its debut at the Buddh International Circuit on September 22-24.

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Ducati’s reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia took a 45-point title lead over Pramac’s Jorge Martin into Sunday’s race after a third place in the Saturday Sprint, behind Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

But it was a miracle Bagnaia was even racing following his shocking accident on the opening lap in Barcelona last weekend.

Bagnaia highsided from the lead and landed in the path of Brad Binder, who couldn’t avoid hitting his legs. Amazingly, Bagnaia escaped without any fractures and – although bandaged and bruised – was fit to return for his home round.

However, factory Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini is absent from Misano, India and Japan after fracturing his left hand and ankle after triggering a multi-rider pile-up just moments before Bagnaia’s highside.

Dani Pedrosa was making a second wild-card appearance of the season for KTM, and using a carbon fibre chassis, with fellow test riders Stefan Bradl (Honda) and Michele Pirro (Ducati) also back on track.

Bradl was using a ‘2023.5’ RCV: This year’s engine (as required by the rules) combined with a range of prototype 2024 parts. Bradl’s bike, plus perhaps more new developments, are set to be tried by the official Honda race riders in Monday’s test.

LCR Honda’s Alex Rins remains absent due to his Mugello leg injuries and, with Iker Lecuona returning to WorldSBK duty, was replaced by Japanese test rider Takumi Takahashi.

But Takahashi, whose previous MotoGP start was in 2015, failed to lap within the 105% time in practice and was thus unable to take part in qualifying or this weekend’s races.