LOMBOK, SEPT 29 – Jorge Martin won the Indonesian MotoGP today, consolidating his lead in the world championship, while nearest challenger Francesco Bagnaia finished third.
The victory put the Pramac rider 21 points ahead of Italy’s Bagnaia, who claimed third place behind Spain’s Pedro Acosta in scorching hot conditions at the Mandalika Circuit, Lombok Island.
In front of 60,000 spectators in Indonesia, famous for its motorcycle enthusiasts, Martin, 26, got up after slipping in the race sprint yesterday, thus erasing the advantage Bagnaia gained after winning the race.
“Thank you, Indonesia. I am very happy. This is not just a victory. After what happened last season and yesterday’s accident, to perform like this is very difficult,” said Martin.
“I believe in myself but I feel like I’m going to fall at every turn. Pedro applied great pressure, so I’m very happy.”
The race saw a fierce battle among Italian riders for third place, between Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, Franco Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi.
However, Bagnaia, who won the race at Mandalika last year, managed to finish third after team-mate Bastianini crashed with six laps to go and he overtook Morbidelli.
“A very difficult race. I had a lot of problems at the beginning of the race. This is the fifth time in a row that we have had problems early in the race. We need to fix that part,” Bagnaia told reporters.
“Once I got back in front I was able to press, but it was too late.”
However, after the riders crossed the finish line, it was announced that Acosta was under investigation for a tire pressure violation, potentially giving Bagnaia the chance to grab second place and four extra points, reducing the points gap with Martin to just 17. – AFP
