Francesco Bagnaia Triumphs in Emilia-Romagna GP Sprint After Intense Duel

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati overcame a poor start to win the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix sprint, moving closer to championship leader Jorge Martin. Bagnaia utilized Martin's mistake to seize the lead, marking his 100th MotoGP race and aiming for Ducati's 100th victory. Bastianini secured third for an all-Ducati podium.

Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning MotoGP champion from Ducati, recovered from a challenging start to claim victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix sprint on Saturday, edging closer to the championship leader Jorge Martin. Bagnaia artfully capitalized on a mistake by Martin, allowing him to take the lead during an engrossing duel.

This critical victory brings Bagnaia within four points of Martin in the championship standings as he prepares for his 100th MotoGP race, aiming to mark the milestone with Ducati's 100th victory. Bagnaia expressed his relief, stating, "I tried everything to be at my 100% riding and luckily I'm able to ride at my 100%."

Despite a tough start that saw him fall behind Martin and KTM's Brad Binder, Bagnaia quickly regained his position, demonstrating incredible pace. As the race progressed, Martin maintained his lead until a crucial mistake with six laps remaining allowed Bagnaia to seize the opportunity and finish first. An all-Ducati podium was completed with Bastianini in third place, while rookie Pedro Acosta finished fifth and Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo placed seventh.

(With inputs from agencies.)