Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin emerges victorious at the 2024 Australian MotoGP Sprint extending his lead over Pecco Bagnaia.
Phillip Island witnessed its first ever Sprint race wherein Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Martin went on to showcase a dominant performance to take his bike to the top of the podium. With last year’s Sprint being cancelled due to extreme weather, it was a new challenge for all the riders to tackle Phillip Island on Saturday. With a gruelling two way battle for the championship, Pecco Bagnaia lost out on some important points today.
Having started from pole position, Jorge Martin lead the race right from the start to the finish. Meanwhile, Pecco Bagnaia was trying to make up for a rather unsettling qualifying result from fifth on the grid. Martin on the other hand was looking like the lone contender for the win. Bagnaia pushed his factory Ducati till second place. However this stint didn’t last for long as the Italian was bested by future teammate Marc Marquez in the end.
Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini took up the podium places for the Sprint race while title contender Pecco Bagnaia had to settle for fourth. Ahead of Sunday’s challengers, the Pramac rider has extended his lead over Pecco to 16 points further solidifying his position at the top. With there being no tyre data on Phillip Island’s new surface, Michelin is offering a third rear tyre option this weekend.
Jorge Martin continues his charge for the MotoGP title after a dominant Sprint victory
“I’m so happy. It’s the same feeling as last season, [but] having a bit more,” Martin, told TNT Sport. “The win was really difficult also. It was really inconsistent, so every corner was really different. So, you need to adapt really fast. But overall I’m super happy and we will try to be ready for tomorrow” he said.
After an enthralling Australian MotoGP Sprint, all eyes are shifting towards Sunday’s main event. Ducati Lenovo factory team is currently 167 points ahead of second place contender Pramac. On paper, the Red Italian squad could clinch their fourth MotoGP Team’s title in Australia if they come out of Sunday’s race with a 198 points lead. It’s all down to Pecco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini to lay down the charge while Jorge Martin and teammate Franco lay down the defence.
Source - TNT Sport (https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC4i_9WvfPRTuRWEaWyfKuFw)
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