MOTO GP

Bagnaia invoice in Jerez

As in the sprint race, the one on Sunday had two starts, after Quartararo tried to get into where there was no space between Oliveira and Bezzecchi and went to the ground, taking the Portuguese, who took the worst part since he had to removed by ambulance and could not line up on the grid, with a dislocated left shoulder.

Quartararo's mistake caused him to be penalized with a Long Lap to complete in the race, which in the end was double because he did the first one wrong. The Frenchman's career, second in 2022, was sentenced before starting.

The second start was a carbon copy of the first, with the KTMs once again scorching polesitter Aleix Espargaró, who also lost position with the Ducati of Bagnaia and Martín.

Miller passed Binder on lap 2, but the lead lasted just one lap as the South African was back in the lead on lap 3. And he opened up an interesting gap thanks to the mess behind him.

And it is that on lap 5 Pecco Bagnaia aggressively put the bike into Miller, who apologized instantly. The Australian's problems were not over because he would also have problems with Martín and Aleix Espargaró. When calm returned and Miller was running third, Bagnaia was forced to relinquish position, giving Binder a breather at the front.

That second place did not last long for the Australian as Bagnaia put the bike back at the same point, this time legally. The race stabilized ahead, with Binder not giving up the first position, followed by Bagnaia, Miller, Martín, Zarco and Aleix Espargaró, who was sixth. Pedrosa, was locked in the wheel of Marini trying to climb to seventh position.

A position that came as a gift on lap 18, when Zarco crashed at turn 5; and immediately the one who crashed at turn 6 was Bezzecchi, who left the lead on the ground.

Five laps from the end, Bagnaia began to threaten Binder's leadership and an overtake was being prepared that would come a turn later, in the last corner, and after a brilliant manoeuvre.

It seemed that victory was decided in favor of the MotoGP champion, but the South African had not said the last word about him. He took a breather before putting the rest into the last lap. He tried it first on the Dry Sack, but Bagnaia's Ducati was running too fast on the straight to get close, but in the last sector his bike seemed like a continuation of the Ducati, and he braked hard again in the last corner without success. Bagnaia closed the door and achieved a victory that returns him to the leadership of MotoGP.

Binder and Miller put the KTMs back on the podium. Jorge Martín repeated fourth position, who never had the option of placing himself in a position to snatch the drawer. Finally, polesitter Aleix Espargaró was fifth, while 42 thousandths separated Dani Pedrosa from Luca Marini in sixth position.

Very bad luck for Maverick Viñales, who on the last lap, when he was running eighth solo, had to retire because the chain came loose. Álex Márquez rose one position 8th and Fabio Quartararo who was finally 10th despite everything. Augusto Fernández 13th returned to points, as did Raúl Fernández 15th, who by three tenths took the last point at stake ahead of Iker Lecuona.

Chechu Lazarus