Top three qualifiers Francesco Bagnaia (1) of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team, Alex Rins (42) of Spain and LCR Honda Castrol and Luca Marini (10) of Italy and Mooney VR46 Racing Team stand at the podium at the end of the MotoGP qualifying rounds at Circuit of the Americas.
| Photo Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports
World champion Francesco Bagnaia breezed to a snug win in the Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP sprint on Saturday.
The Ducati rider began from pole at Austin and dominated the 10-lap sprint to bounce again from his fall final day out in Argentina.
Alex Rins on the Honda-LCR took second with Jorge Martin on one other Ducati in third.
Marco Bezzecchi got here in sixth for the VR46 Ducati staff owned by motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi to retain his lead in the world championship however solely by one level now from Bagnaia.
This was the good pick-me-up for ‘Pecco’ who had begun the defence of his world title in impeccable type in Portugal, successful each the sprint and grand prix.
But Bezzecchi arrived in Texas with a nine-point championship lead after Bagnaia completed solely sixth in the sprint in Argentina, and a lowly sixteenth in the grand prix itself.
He confirmed he meant enterprise this weekend when nailing pole with a lap report, and constructed on that to cross the line over two and a half seconds in entrance of Rins in the third sprint of the season.
“I had more trouble in Argentina,” the 26-year-old smiled.
“I started well, and tried to push, do my pace, to build up a gap. Now I’ve got to focus on tomorrow, that’s going to be harder.”
MotoGP launched the Formula One-style sprint format this yr, with the first two editions quick and livid affairs.
The third lacked the thrills and spills of Portimao and Termas de Rio Hondo as Bagnaia and his speedy Ducati proved in a category of their very own.
Behind him Martin sliced via the pack to make the podium from twelfth on the grid.
France’s 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo exited at flip one on lap 4 when shedding management of his Yamaha, remounting to path in nineteenth.
In blazing sunshine the tempo proved too sizzling for Alex Marquez, who slid off his Ducati, crashing again to earth after his breakthrough MotoGP pole and podium in Argentina.
Missing in Austin had been seven-time winner on the circuit Marc Marquez and final yr’s Grand Prix of the Americas winner Enea Bastianini – each recovering from accidents sustained in the season-opener.
