Pecco Bagnaia brought out his most aggressive version in the Spanish GP to take his third consecutive victory at the Jerez circuit and keep the best version of Marc Márquez on the Ducati at bay. The eight-time world champion celebrated second place as a victory after fighting until the last corner for the win, once again competitive and happy on the Gresini satellite of the Italian brand. The Bologna factory’s plenary session on the podium was closed by Marco Bezzecchi, who like the Catalan wears last year’s specification of the motorcycle that continues to dominate the competition.
The defender of the crown, after finishing seventh in qualifying and being involved in an accident that took away his chance to score points on Saturday, responded like a champion and showed that he too can raise the stakes to unsuspected limits. His great comeback was possible thanks to a textbook start and a strong first lap, where he was able to take the lead in the last corner, just before the first step across the finish line. His outside of Bezzecchi and Martín in the sixth corner, decisive this Sunday on several fronts, lifted the public from their seats and allowed him to chase down Márquez in the lead.
The road to victory was not easy for the number one, who overbraked in the second lap and gave up the lead to Jorge Martín determined to take advantage of the gift. The Madrid native, leader of the competition, shot like a wild boar, but for the first time this season showed a crack in his armor. In the same turn six where Bagnaia had surprised him, he lost the front end when he was leading with a certain superiority on the eleventh lap. He escaped without warning and the Spaniard saw how a possible cushion of 47 points in command of the championship was reduced to just 17 at the end of the race. The coup de theater in front of him emboldened Márquez who needed a few laps to completely loosen his grip and prepare his fierce attack on the current champion.
The Catalan took that impetus from his best days and placed his Desmosedici in the wake of the official motorcycle of his partner and reference in the Bologna brand. In five laps, after passing Bezzecchi like a hurricane, he reduced the second of distance that separated them when Martín’s fall caused the unexpected twist of the script in command of the test. Six laps from the end, the 93 tested Bagnaia in the tenth corner, and the Italian made it clear that he was not going to give up, nor did he do in Texas, the previous event, when both crashed and went to the ground while fighting for a fifth place.
Marc and Pecco touched each other, their bikes stumbled, but the Turin native maintained first place. On the next turn, the maneuver was repeated with the same result. In the garage, the Ducati bosses looked askance, some even prayed. They saw another disaster like that of the GP of the Americas nearby. It was then that Bagnaia took one more point and set the fastest lap of the race to escape and take a spectacular victory in front of his new and uncomfortable factory neighbor. The fans, and the entire paddock, applauded the impressive duel, which Márquez defined as from the old days.
“It was an important race, and at the beginning it was a little stiff. The speed was there to overcome, and to fight with Pecco for the victory. It was a battle like in the old days, and no matter what has happened in the past, I will always fight to the end for victory,” he commented exultantly in the parc ferme. Bagnaia, vindictive, satisfied and reinforced after turning the weekend around, acknowledged that the melee was brilliant and fun. “He was aggressive, but I had a great time. “I have enjoyed it a lot,” celebrated number one. In the underlying war for the World Cup, Martín takes a hard blow and his two colleagues look strong as ever to fight for the crown.
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