MotoGP Jerez: Francesco Bagnaia holds off Brad Binder for stunning Jerez win, but it's another nightmare for Fabio Quartararo

Francesco Bagnaia has bounced back from crashes in the last two Grand Prix to win his fourth MotoGP race of the season at Jerez.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Jerez 2023
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Jerez 2023

Like the Sprint race, Jack Miller made t🧸he best start of anyone as he immediately took the lead from Aleix Espargaro. 💝;

Teammate and Sprint race winner, Brad B💛inder, then followed Miller through as he out-braked Jorge Martin.

Also like the Sprint race, a red flag was deployed before the end of lap one as a collision between Fabio Quartararo, Miguel Oliveira and Marco Bezzecchi𝄹 resulted in Quartararo and Oliveira crashing out.

Both riders remained down for some time before Quartararo managed to get up under his own power. The same couldn’t b🀅e said for Oliveira who was stretchered away before being taken to the medical centre. 

Quartararo was the rider who caused the incident after going f🐼or a very narrow gap between Oliveira and Bezzecchi, losing the front-end in the process as he wiped out the RNF Aprilia m♌an.

Prior to the resumption of the Spanish Grand Prix, Quartararo was given a Long-lap penalty for irre🐷sponsible riding. 

Starting from pole for 𒅌the fourth race start this weekend, Espargaro lost out to both KTM riders as Binder swooped around the outsi🍷de of Miller to lead at turn one. 

Winner last time out, Alex Rins suffered an early fall 🍰as he crashed in sector three. Rins remounted his Honda to continue the race, however more disaster struck the Japanese manufacturer as Joan Mir crashed on lap two. 

A lap down following his fall, Rins then retired from the race on lap four🍒. 

After regaining the lead on lap 🌟three, Miller was pushed back to second place after Binder came through at the final corner - lap four.

Miller was then pushed down another position as Bagnaia for🌊ced his way through, which visibly angered the Australian. 

Tempers flared on lap siಌx as Miller put a hard move on Martin, pushing the Ducati rider to the outside of the circuit in the process, before Martin was seen shaking his head in disgust. 

Further back🍰, Quartararo’s dreadful day got worse as he served his Long-lap penalty incorrectly an🌌d had to do it for a second time. 

With his earlier oꦗvertake deemed too forceful, Bagnaia was given a one-place drop notificatiꦬon, which he obliged to immediately. The Italian dropped back behind Miller as Binder’s lead grew to nine tenths. 

Miller then ꧑ran wide again at turn six on lap ten, which invited Bagnaཧia to have another look but this time around it was Miller who came out in front. 

Setting a very strong pace in P6, Zarco’s charge towards the꧅ front began with 13 laps to go as he gained Pಌ5 away from Espargaro. 

After a scruffy lap 15, Miller was eventua🐠lly passed by B🍰agnaia on the approach to the Jorge Lorenzo corner. 

On lap 16 Zarco’s charge ended with a crash at turn five, before championship leader Marco Bezzecchi went 💯down one corner 🎃later.

On lap 19 came a stunning new ꧂fastest lap from Bagnaia as he closed to within four ten🔴ths of Binder.

Lap 20 saw Bagnaia reduce the margin to Binder by another two tenths as the battle forℱ the win was on. 

With three laps to go Bagnaia made his move after lining up Binder through turns 13 and 🐭14. The world champion went do꧟wn the inside at the final corner as he managed to avoid running wide. 

But after making his way ﷽through, Bagnaia came back under pressure from Binder as the South African gave it everything on the fin🃏al lap.

However, Bagnaia’s defence was superb as he held off the KTM rider, taking his second Grand Prix win o﷽f the season🤪.

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