MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia Prevails in Portuguese Grand Prix To Begin Season on Perfect Note

World champion Francesco Bagnaia mentioned profitable MotoGP’s first-ever dash race at a bruising Portuguese Grand Prix on Saturday was “fairly enjoyable”.

Bagnaia came home ahead of fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martin with Honda’s pole-sitter Marc Marquez in third.

This was the inaugural sprint in an innovation that will see the riders contest a 12-lap race for half the points awarded for Sunday’s showpiece event.

A sprint will precede every race of the 21-event calendar in 2023.

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“It was fairly enjoyable,” mentioned 26-year-old Bagnaia. “It was extra intense because it was shorter than a race. We had new tyres, fewer laps so you’ll be able to push extra.”

“I am happy for today as it was a target to finish in the top three so it’s a good feeling.”

Marquez, a six-time MotoGP world champion, had surprisingly began from his sixty fourth profession pole place forward of Bagnaia and Martin having struggled in Friday apply the place he crashed out.

“I spent quite a lot of vitality. It was solely 12 laps, however we did a unprecedented job at this time,” said Marquez, whose career has stalled after undergoing four surgeries in recent seasons.

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“Tomorrow is the most important race of the weekend, it will be more difficult.”

Despite his reservations, Marquez will nonetheless begin Sunday’s race from pole place the place he’ll search his sixtieth premier class victory however first since October 2021.

This first dash race in MotoGP historical past was marked by a shuddering collision between Italian riders Enea Bastianini of Ducati and Luca Marini of the satellite tv for pc Ducati-VR46 group.

Bastianini suffered a damaged collarbone in the incident.

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“@Bestia23 sustained a proper scapula fracture following a crash in at this time’s Sprint Race. Enea has been taken to Portimao Hospital for additional examination,” tweeted his team.

Ducati later said the 25-year-old will miss Sunday’s race as well as next week’s Argentina race.

Honda’s Joan Mir, the 2020 world champion, was also a non-finisher on Saturday after clashing with 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo.

French rider Quartararo blasted the new format.

“There will be a big accident soon. It’s a jungle. We are not in a car, we are not in cars that in the end you can touch and it’s not a problem,” he informed autosport.com.

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“Physically it’s going to be powerful, however I imply in 25 laps you’ve a bit of bit extra time.”

The crash came a day after Spanish veteran Pol Espargaro was hospitalised with “severe spinal trauma” following a crash in apply.

The high-speed crash suffered by 31-year-old Espargaro on his KTM Tech3 GASGAS bike prompted a protracted interruption to the session which finally completed round two hours late.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)