Jorge Martin won his first MotoGP title at the Barcelona Grand Prix. The Spaniard finished in 3rd place in a race won by Francesco Bagnaia. With a 19-point lead before the start, Martin had to finish 9th at worst to be crowned if his Italian rival were successful.
On the Catalan circuit of Montmeló, chosen to replace that of Valencia, following the natural disaster which recently struck the region, the suspense mainly resided in the race management of two candidates for the coronation, only a fall or a breakdown seemed to be able to disrupt.
Forced to aim for at least 2nd place to catch up and rely on a poor performance from Martin, Bagnaia logically got the best start to never again give up the lead in the event. In his wake, the leader of the world championship also got off to a great start. Attacked by Marc Marquez at the end of the first lap, Martin gave up 2nd position to stay on the podium without taking any risks, long protected by Aleix Espargaró.
The leading trio then did not change until the checkered flag, allowing “Martinator”, titled in 2018 in Moto3, to win its first crown in the premier category, at the end of its 4th season. Bagnaia’s 11th victory, 8 more than his rival who has been more consistent this season and uncompromising in sprinting, did not allow the Italian to win his 3rd consecutive championship.
ats/bur
Swiss
