MotoGP News: Bastianini out duels Martin to win at Misano

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was victorious at the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna after a showstopping and controversial move on the final lap.

The Italian crossed the line to take a historic win after running a red-hot pace throughout the GP. It was an important day for Ducati, with the Bologna factory claiming the Constructors’ World Championship and their 100th win in the premier class.

The Italian defeated Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in Misano as the #89 extended his title advantage after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed out on Lap 21.

Martin’s advantage is now 24 points as the momentum swings as we leave the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing) earned another podium, with the #93 finishing less than three seconds behind Martin at the line. It was a strong day for the eight-time World Champion, who sits fourth in the Championship after Bastianini took 25 points.

At the start, Martin performed the perfect launch on the run to Turn 1. The #89 led briefly before Bagnaia set up a crucial move on the opening lap – launching into the lead. The title-leading duo remained in position throughout Lap 1, with Bastianini sitting in a strong third.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out on Lap 2, losing the front at the tricky Turn 4. The South African rejoined the Grand Prix down in 21st with a lot of work to do for the remaining laps.

Bagnaia made a small error at the end of Lap 2, closing his advantage and allowing Martin to have his first overtake attempt at Turn 8 next time around. The #89 was on his tailpipe, with Bastianini waiting for an opportunity to get involved in third. Martin tried an identical move on Lap 4, this time making it stick. The reigning World Champion soon dropped back to P3, with Bastianini finding a gap in Bagnaia’s armor.

The fastest lap changed hands in the early stages, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) setting a strong pace before Martin entered the low 1:31 bracket. This pace allowed Martin to extend his margin to over half a second. However, ‘The Beast’ was working hard, hunting down Martin – edging closer every lap.

Acosta’s Emilia-Romagna GP came to an early end after the #31 suffered a crash at Turn 15 with 19 laps remaining. This brought an end to Acosta’s podium hopes, promoting Marc Marquez to fourth and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) into the top five.

Bagnaia found a rhythm, now entering the 1:30 bracket and setting the fastest lap of the GP – eating up the gap to the leading duo. However, everything unfolded on Lap 21, with Bagnaia crashing out at Turn 8 in another swing of momentum as Martin’s advantage was extended to 24 points, and Marc Marquez was promoted to the podium.

The battle for victory was not over yet, with Bastianini putting an immense amount of pressure, eying home success. On the final lap, ‘The Beast’ made his move at Turn 4, with Martin running wide and allowing Bastianini to claim victory at home. Bastianini won by 5.002s at the line, with Martin crossing the line in a valuable second – grabbing 20 points in the process. Marc Marquez claimed the final spot on the podium, ending yet another impressive weekend for the #93.

Bezzecchi took fourth in a solid day for the Italian, who was the only rider to opt for the soft rear tire. The #72 was 1.352s adrift from Marc Marquez after showing great late-race pace. Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) rounded out the top five positions after battling for P10 on the grid. Morbidelli crossed the line in front of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who ends Sunday as the top Aprilia.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s Fabio Quartararo completed a standout weekend – taking P7. Quartararo was running inside the top 10 throughout the entire weekend, ending the day ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), who took eighth as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) took the final spots inside the top 10, with Repsol Honda Team’s Joan Mir and Luca Marini taking points in P11 and P12.

Race Results

* Rookie