The reigning MotoGP cham🧸pion, who like race winner Johann Zarco, timed his la🐲te race attack to perfection as he picked off three riders in two laps.

Bagnaia was aided by Zarco forcing his way thro🌜ugh on Brad Bin꧑der which opened the door for him to come past.

• Marc Marquez: “This year the gamble didnꦿ’t pay off” 
• Yamaha: 'We have 20 hours to come up wit𒆙h a solution'

However, Bagnaia’s pace was very good despite a relatively slow start as Martin, Binder and Fabio ꦇDi Giannantonio all pulled away from him𒊎.

A big day in the title fight as he gained more points on Martin when it looked like he would instead lose a big chunk, Bagnaia said: “Absolutely. It was very tough, very long. I think we missed Q2 yesterday just because⛎ we tried to work on the medium and do more laps on the medium. 

“This year the grip level was less than last year but ꦕthe performance was faster. I was sure that the medium was already going to struggle for the race but we managed to do a good job. 

“I recovered again the feeling this morning and qualifyin𒉰g was very important t♊o get the front row. 

“At one m🍒oment in the race I was a bit worried because Binder was going away but as soo🥀n as I saw Jorge stuck at the same gap, I said we will catch him. 

ꦕ“I was expecting to catch him a bit sooner but finally, in the last l🏅ap we did it.”

Bagnaia forced his way through on title rival Martin at turn four of the final lap, after Zarco creꦅated a gap by diving to theﷺ inside of his team-mate.

Martin then slid t🃏o fifth 🐽as his soft rear tyre was leading to him spinning coming out of the faster corners.

Talking about Martin’s soft tyre🌊 gamble, Bagnaia added: “I think he was the only one with the possibility to race with the soft. 

“Yesterday he did many laps and was quite fast. But I think the maximum number of laps was 19 with a stop and start. In the races it is always a different story.&nbs꧋p;

“When I saw the gap it was not enough to have a bi🍬t of margin in the last laps. I was just trying to be careful with the rear tyre and I knew that as soon as Brad and Fabio were fighting, I could catch them a bit easier.”

Bagnaia was one of 1🎐8 riders out of 21 to use the medium rear tyre, which like the soft needed its own management in order to have performance late on.

ꩲ“Today was very important to remain calm with the tyres,” said the championship leader. “As soon as I saw Martin🧸 going away I knew that he was going with the soft. 

“It ♚was the only strategy with the soft to push like this. It was clea♔r to me that he would have this type of drop.”