MotoGP: With victory by more than three seconds after 13 laps, is the #72 a favourite despite his double Long Lap Penalty on Sunday?
It’s back-to-back Tissot Sprint victories for Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and although the Italian didn’t make it easy for himself at Phillip Island, he came through with three laps to go on Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) to take the win. Rounding out the Sprint rostrum was Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as that battle went to the wire, with P3 to P5 covered by a tenth of a second.
OPENING ENCOUNTERS: surprise holeshot and a new leader
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) got the initial launch and holeshot but by Turn 2, Fernandez had got his way to the front and led the opening lap. He was ahead of pre-Sprint favourite Bezzecchi, who had extra wings on his Aprilia courtesy of a rather unfortunate encounter with seagulls on the Warm Up Lap. Polesitter Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had dropped to sixth behind Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Acosta, whilst the #37’s teammate, Brad Binder, crashed out at Turn 2 on Lap 1.
As Fernandez and Bezzecchi stretched away in an Aprilia 1-2, the battle was intensifying over P3, with Alex Marquez coming under increasing pressure from Miller, Acosta, Quartararo, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) doing a great job in P7. Lap 5 saw Miller and Marquez exchange places at Turn 10 and then at Turn 1. In the battle at the front, Bezzecchi had a huge moment going down into Turn 10, narrowly avoiding race leader Fernandez. In the fight for third on Lap 7, Acosta took both Miller and Marquez at Turn 1.
RECOVERING: Bezzecchi pounces on Fernandez
By Lap 9, ‘Bez’ was back on Fernandez’s rear wheel and had much more pace than the #25, pouncing quickly at Turn 2 on Lap 10. Meanwhile on Lap 11, Indonesian Grand Prix winner Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed out at Turn 6 but was all OK and walked away.
Onto the last lap at the front, it was a done deal as Bezzecchi and Fernandez were locked into the top two positions, barring any errors. But it was a true head-to-head between Acosta, Miller and Di Giannantonio for the final place on the podium.
ACROSS THE LINE: the first Aprilia 1-2 in a Sprint
Bezzecchi lived up to his tag of pre-Sprint favourite and got the job done for a second Saturday in a row, whilst Fernandez also made it two Sprint podiums on the spin, making it the first Aprilia 1-2 in a Tissot Sprint. Acosta resisted late pressure from Miller and Di Giannantonio and held onto third on the run to the line, the first Sprint without a Ducati in the top three.
Behind the top five, Alex Marquez was in sixth, dropping back after a blistering start, and Quartararo seventh. Both will hope for a better time of things on Sunday. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) and Espargaro completed the Sprint points.
Outside of the points, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) climbed to tenth whilst at the back, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and temporary teammate Michele Pirro in what was a Sprint to forget for the #63. Pecco’s 19th place, combined with Bezzecchi’s win, means that there are just eight points separating them in the battle for third overall.
Will Bezzecchi do the double despite his double Long Lap? The numbers can work, but the luck of the draw is more than a numbers game… see you at the time of 15:00 local time (UTC +11) for the Grand Prix race.
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