Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship Sprint Race Saturday afternoon at the Buddh International Circuit, in India. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, the Spaniard won the dry 11-lap race by 1.389 seconds. It was his second Sprint Race win in a row and his fourth Sprint Race win of 2023.

Defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was the runner-up on his Lenovo Team Ducati, and six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez got third on his Repsol Honda RC213V.

Six of the 21 starters did not finish the race.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Martin homes in with another scintillating Sprint win as Marquez returns to the rostrum

Martin on a roll, Pecco damage control, some Prosecco for Marquez and truly scintillating pace from Bezzecchi: the Sprint both delivered much and promises even more

Saturday, 23 September 2023

History was made on Saturday at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) won the first Tissot Sprint on Indian soil, making it three victories in a row for the Spaniard – two Sprints and one GP. The Pramac rider put on a dominant display to deny Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but the Italian showed his almost customary ability to bounce back from what seemed like a tougher Friday to bank another big haul of points. Still, the gap was cut once more. Meanwhile in third, it was a welcome return to the Sprint rostrum and a continuation of the positive form so far in India for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the eight-time World Champion held off Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for P3.

It was a lightning start for Martin, who took the holeshot into Turn 1 and almost unbothered by the chasing pack. There was big dram for Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), however, as he lost buckets of time – dropping through the order due to Turn 1 contact from Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) which saw the number 10 crash out. The comeback charge, for Bezzecchi, was on.

Meanwhile, at the front, Martin had Bagnaia for company as the reigning champ was eager to latch himself onto the rear wheel of his title rival. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) also got a brilliant start from 5th on the grid to put himself into P3 on lap 1. It wasn’t long before he fell into the clutches of teammate Marc Marquez however as the eight-time champ put himself into the top three.

Binder was a man on a mission in the opening stages too as the South African flew his way from 13th to 5th to latch himself onto the Repsol Honda duo, who were shadowing Bagnaia’s every move.

Disaster then came for Mir after his early charge, as a mistake saw him drop it at the same slow, slow Turn 3 that had bitten teammate Marc Marquez earlier in the day. Rider ok, but chance lost on Saturday.

Martin had the bit between his teeth in the lead as he flew away from reigning Champion Bagnaia, stretching the gap to two seconds and controlling his lead to the chequered flag.

Bagnaia tried all he could to chase down the Spaniard and subsequently pulled away from the clutches of Marc Marquez to bring home crucial points in P2. Behind them, there was plenty yet to be decided.

Marquez vs Binder

With the laps ticking away, Marc Marquez had plenty on his hands as Binder was breathing down the his neck. With the chequered flag drawing nearer and nearer it felt as if it was only a matter of time before South African was going to make a move…

And yet. The number 93 dug in and said his later Sprint pace was positive, and it was certainly positive enough as he managed to hold off Binder. A good recovery from the South African, but a seriously needed return to the top three for both Marc Marquez and the Repsol Honda squad.

Bezzecchi on the charge…

After it seemed all could be lost following that Turn 1 drama, Bezzecchi put together an incredible recovery after dropping down the order. With six laps to go the Italian had already pushed his way into the top 10, and by the end of his awesome scything through the field he managed to pip Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) for a top five finish. Bezzecchi also put in the fastest lap of the race on the final lap – beating his own previous best. His pace will raise eyebrows for Sunday.

Quartararo himself enjoyed a positive Indian Sprint. The Frenchman finished just 4.327s back from the victory and was under two seconds away from the top three as he brought home P6.

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) moved well up the order to snap up 7th place ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), with Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) taking the final point in P9.

Marini was subsequently passed unfit due to a collarbone fracture sustained in the Turn 1 crash, and to add – metaphorically speaking – insult to injury, the Italian will also have a Long Lap to serve on his return.

If Saturday’s action at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India is anything to go by, you do not want to miss any of the action on Sunday’s billing! Can Martin double up once again, or is Bezzecchi’s pace just too hot to handle? Find out at 15:30 local time (GMT +5:30)!

Jake Dixon earned pole position during wet Moto2 qualifying Saturday at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India at Buddh International Circuit. Riding his Inde GASGAS Aspar Team Kalex, the British racer covered the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) course in 2:01.924 to top the field of 29 riders.

Championship point leader Pedro Acosta was second-best with a 2:01.956 on his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex, and Sergio Garcia claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a lap at 2:02.192 on his Pons Wegow Los40 Kalex.

Americans Joe Roberts and Sean Dylan Kelly (SDK) qualified eighth and 25th, respectively. Roberts did a 2:03.262 on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex, and SDK recorded a 2:04.727 on his Forward Racing machine.

Jaume Masia claimed pole position during wet Moto3 qualifying at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India at Buddh International Circuit. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda, the Spaniard covered the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) course in 2:09.336, outpacing his nearest competitor by 0.727 second.

Italy’s Matteo Bertelle qualified second with a 2:10.063 on his Rivacold Snipers Team Honda, and Japan’s Ayumu Sasaki earned the third and final spot on the front row with a time of 2:10.104 on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.

Marco Bezzecchi earned pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India at Buddh International Circuit. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati, the Italian lapped the new 3.1-mile (5.0 km) venue in 1:43.947 to lead the field of 22 riders.

Jorge Martin was second-best with a time of 1:43.990 on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a best lap of 1:44.203 on his Lenovo Team Ducati.

Row two qualifiers included Bezzecchi’s teammate Luca Marini (1:44.215) and Repsol Honda teammates Joan Mir (1:44.454) and Marc Marquez (1:44.489).

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bezzecchi hits back to take first ever pole at Buddh International Circuit

A history-making pole goes the way of the number 72, with Martin and Bagnaia alongside… and Mir and Marc Marquez stealing some limelight

Saturday, 23 September 2023

The first-ever MotoGP™ qualifying at Buddh International Circuit served as the perfect precursor to the racing action at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India! Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) flipped the Friday form book to slam in a new lap record 1:43.947, pipping Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by just 0.043. Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) makes it a front row lockout for the top three in the title fight, in reverse order.

Q1: LATE DRAMA 

It was always going to be a close one, with the depth of the field and at a whole new venue, and there was an extra dash of drama too as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) went down late on. That brought out the yellow flags that would prove costly for some, and it also sent the Silverstone Sprint winner for a medical check, sidelining him from Q2. He was then passed unfit due to rib fractures, so he won’t be taking his place on the grid in India. Get well soon, Alex!

Having been second fastest in the session at the time he went down and no one able to improve though, the Gresini rider moved through to take that place up in Q2 – behind a second ever trip to Q2 for Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team).

One of the riders whose Q2 ambitions ran afoul of the yellow flags was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), just as his final Practice lap also got scrubbed off on Friday. The South African will be gunning for much more when the lights go out, starting P13 now Alex Marquez sits it out.

Q2: LAPS OF THE TITANS

After the banker laps came in, it was Martin on top as the riders returned to the pits. There was still plenty of life left in the Q2 session, however, and Martin and Bezzecchi lit up the timing screens on their first flyers back out of the box.

Bezzecchi struck in style with the first-ever 1:43 lap, and the benchmark would prove impossible to overcome. Martin managed to get within that tantalising half a tenth, and break into the 1:43s, but he couldn’t overhaul his compatriot.

Bagnaia came out of the pits fired up to move up the order too, after a more muted Friday especially. He also had Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) glued to his rear wheel, with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) right behind both.

Bagnaia grabbed that front row, but the Hondas also made some positive hay. Marc Marquez took fifth but then just got pipped to it, with Mir edging out his eight-time Champion teammate by just 0.015s.

THE GRID

Behind the Bezzecchi, Martin and Bagnaia front row in reverse Championship order, Friday’s fastest was fast once again as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) heads up Row 2 in fourth.

It’s Repsol Honda squad goals completing that second row as Mir takes fifth, by far his best qualifying result since his switch to Honda, and the 2020 World Champion pipped teammate Marc Marquez by just 0.015 as the number 93 slots into sixth.

Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) heads the third row just ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha  MotoGP™), with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) missing out on one spot higher up by just 0.017. He’ll start ninth, another tiny margin just ahead of teammate Aleix Espargaro.

Raul Fernandez takes P11, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) moving up to P12 ahead of Binder as the grid behind Alex Marquez moves up a place.

Repsol Honda back in the mix. Bagnaia not struggling, but seemingly not the favourite so far… and his two closest Championship challengers ahead of him on the front row. The stage is set for a history-making debut at Buddh International Circuit! Don’t miss it!