The Gresini rider takes to the top step for the first time in MotoGP™, with Bezzecchi gaining some big points in second and Viñales back at the front in third
Saturday, 05 August 2023
There’s a new Tissot Sprint winner on the block! Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) moved through to the front and took off on a wet but drying track, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) chasing him down late on but not quite close enough to launch a last lap attack. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) made steady progress to pick his way through the order, the Aprilia rider coming home third for his first Saturday podium.
One headline also saw Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fail to score, the number 1 having a couple of close moments on track to lose ground and ultimately forced to settle for 14th – outside the points on super Saturday! Bezzecchi therefore gains some ground with second place, and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) too as he took P6.
Bezzecchi held the hold shot from pole, but Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) didn’t waste time to strike and take over in the lead. From there it was a frenetic opening couple of laps to the Sprint, with the track wet enough for the medium wets but conditions starting to dry.
Miller quickly made his way back through on the VR46 rider to take the lead as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) shot into P3 with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) trying to force his way through on the rookie. Martin eventually got the better of Fernandez with Alex Marquez quickly following suit, his charge beginning in earnest. Martin then tried his hand at taking the lead but Miller wasn’t letting the Spaniard have it easy as the Aussie had plenty of answers for the Pramac rider’s attacks.
Who dares wins!
The race began to settle with a seven-bike freight train battling for the victory with the top guys swapping and changing postions corner after corner. Once Alex Marquez took the lead, however, he went on to set the fastest lap and begin to stretch out the field.
Marquez, Bezzecchi, Miller, Viñales, and Martin was the order with six laps to go, with a second between Marquez and Bezzecchi, and another half a second back to Miller who had the rest of the front group right in his wheel tracks.
Marquez kept Bezzecchi at arm’s length for the rest of the race but as the rain started to come down once again on the final couple of laps, the Italian began to make up significant ground on the Gresini machine ahead. By the final sector it was only a handful of tenths but Bezzecchi didn’t quite have enough in the tank to make a move, seeing Alex Marquez sweep through to his first ever Sprint win.
Aprilia always deliver at Silverstone
Despite starting down in 8th place, Viñales was a man on a mission during Saturday’s Sprint action. The Spaniard was on the move and eventually pushed his way past the Aussie Jack Miller for the final podium spot, holding onto P3 as Miller faded the other way.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) also had his head down as he climbed his way up from 12th on the grid to 4th, before being demoted down to P5 by a late-charging Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). Sixth went to Martin, meaning Bezzecchi just edges him down into third in the standings, and behid Miller came Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Miguel Oliveira (CrytoDARA RNF MotoGP) completed the top ten.
That leaves some big names out. Reigning Champion Bagnaia failed to score in a Sprint for the first time this year, getting pushed a little wide by Zarco but then fading down to P14. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) rode home behind teammate Joan Mir to literally observe as the Japanese giants work to make big steps forward, in P17 and P18, and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) came home in P20 after that difficult qualifying too.
Next: Grand Prix Sunday!
In the wet it was a whole new picture, but the weather on Sunday looks like it might change again. Can Bezzecchi keep making gains? Will more history be made? Find out at 13:00 (GMT +1) local time as we go Grand Prix racing at Silverstone!
1 12 73 Alex MARQUEZ SPA Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI 21’52.317 161.8
2 9 72 Marco BEZZECCHI ITA Mooney VR46 Racing Team DUCATI 21’52.683 161.8 0.366
3 7 12 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Aprilia Racing APRILIA 21’55.691 161.4 3.374
4 6 5 Johann ZARCO FRA Prima Pramac Racing DUCATI 21’57.988 161.1 5.671
5 5 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Aprilia Racing APRILIA 21’58.385 161.1 6.068
6 4 89 Jorge MARTIN SPA Prima Pramac Racing DUCATI 21’59.611 160.9 7.294
7 3 43 Jack MILLER AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 22’01.732 160.6 9.415
8 2 37 Augusto FERNANDEZ SPA GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 KTM 22’02.167 160.6 9.850
9 1 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 22’02.752 160.5 10.435
10 88 Miguel OLIVEIRA POR CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team APRILIA 22’03.564 160.4 11.247
11 10 Luca MARINI ITA Mooney VR46 Racing Team DUCATI 22’09.682 159.7 17.365
12 49 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI 22’12.380 159.4 20.063
13 23 Enea BASTIANINI ITA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI 22’16.669 158.9 24.352
14 1 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI 22’17.844 158.7 25.527
15 21 Franco MORBIDELLI ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA 22’19.508 158.5 27.191
16 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 KTM 22’20.010 158.5 27.693
17 36 Joan MIR SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 22’21.379 158.3 29.062
18 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 22’21.643 158.3 29.326
19 25 Raul FERNANDEZ SPA CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team APRILIA 22’21.944 158.2 29.627
20 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN LCR Honda IDEMITSU HONDA 22’22.226 158.2 29.909
21 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA 22’22.643 158.1 30.326
22 27 Iker LECUONA SPA LCR Honda CASTROL HONDA 22’39.991 156.1 47.674
Words : MotoGP Press Release
Image : Bomber County Media
