Francesco Bagnaia Triumphs in MotoGP Indonesia 2023 at Mandalika Circuit

INDONESIA: Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team couldn’t contain his joy after claiming victory in the MotoGP Indonesia 2023, held at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok on Sunday (15 Oct).

Bagnaia outshone his rivals, Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo, who secured the second and third positions, respectively. With this win, Francesco Bagnaia returned to the top of the current rider standings, amassing a total of 346 points.

Racing under the scorching sun at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, Bagnaia crossed the finish line with a time of 41 minutes and 20.293 seconds. He held a slim lead of 0.306 seconds over Maverick Vinales, who secured the second position, and 0.433 seconds over Fabio Quartararo in third place.

Francesco Bagnaia. (Photo: iNews.id)

“I believe we earned a race of this caliber. Initially, I pushed to the limit,” Bagnaia remarked.

Starting 13th due to a Q1 qualification setback on Saturday, he focused on tire management and controlled his pace in the final laps.

Thanks to his victory at the MotoGP Mandalika 2023, Francesco Bagnaia moved 18 points ahead of Jorge Martin, who dropped to second place in the rider standings. After the race, Bagnaia opened up about his experiences on the track and expressed his gratitude to those who supported him on his journey to victory.

“After the accident in Barcelona, we went through tough times, and only the people close to me knew what I was really going through. I am extremely proud and lucky to have them. This victory is for all of us,” said Pecco Bagnaia.

“Today, I had only one chance: to be the best version of myself.” He also extended his thanks for his experiences at Mandalika, saying, “Thank you, Mandalika!”

In a separate event, Jorge Martin from the Pramac Racing team secured a victory in the Sprint Race of MotoGP Indonesia 2023. This race, which was held for the first time at the Mandalika Circuit, featured a shorter duration compared to the Grand Prix race. The main race at the Mandalika Circuit consisted of 27 laps, while the Sprint Race covered 13 laps.

Illustration: Pramac Racing’s top rider, Jorge Martin (on the right), battles against Red Bull KTM’s racer, Brad Binder, in the sprint race of MotoGP Japan 2023 at the Motegi Circuit in Motegi on Saturday (30 Sept). (Photo: AFP)

Sprint race battling scorching heat and dry conditions; Marquez’s early crash adds to the drama

The Sprint Race, held on Saturday (14 Oct), witnessed sweltering weather with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius, making it a hot and challenging race.

Unlike the previous year’s MotoGP race which was plagued by rain, this time, the race was conducted under dry conditions.

During the initial lap of the Sprint Race, Maverick Vinales, Luca Marini, and Fabio Quartararo took the lead. On the same lap, Marc Marquez had a crash in the first turn and was unable to continue the race.

Moving into the second lap, KTM’s Brad Binder and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro also suffered crashes in turn 16. As the race progressed, Vinales, Marini, and Jorge Martin each took turns leading the race, with Quartararo, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Bastianini, Bagnaia, Oliveira, and Miller following closely.

Vinales, who led the pack, held an advantage of 1 second over Marini in second place. Shortly after, on the seventh lap, Marini lost a position to Martin after an intense battle.

Additionally, several riders were unable to finish the race due to crashes, including Johan Zarco, Jorge Martin, Joan Mir, Augusto Fernandez, Marc Marquez, Luca Marini, and Pol Espargaro.