TNT Sports
Marco Bezzecchi produces flawless performance to win inaugural Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit
By
Published 24/09/2023 at 13:05 GMT+1
Marco Bezzecchi stormed to victory in the inaugural MotoGP Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit with a flawless performance. Championship rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin battled it out for second for the better part of the race before Bagnaia crashed out. Martin took second and Fabio Quartararo collected third. You can watch every MotoGP race this season on discovery+.
MotoGP Indian Grand Prix highlights - Bezzecchi shines with perfect race
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marco Bezzecchi stormed to victory in the inaugural MotoGP Indian Grand Prix with a flawless performance.
The Ducati rider claimed the lead on an eventful opening lap and was in a league of his own from there. With championship leader Francesco Bagnaia crashing out of the race, the title fight has been blown wide open.
"I'm very happy," Bezzecchi said in parc ferme. "It was a tough race, a really long one. "After yesterday [in the Sprint] when I got hit by Luca [Marini], I wanted to get my revenge today and fortunately, I started better. I was able to get in the lead quite early and then I just tried to stay focused and get my rhythm on.
"I felt at one with my bike - it was fantastic. I enjoy this track and country a lot, it's amazing."
Starting from pole, Bezzecchi was pipped to the lead at lights out by both Jorge Martin and Bagnaia. Martin fought off an attack from Bagnaia initially but ran wide as a result through the next turn, falling back into third.
Bezzecchi now stalked Bagnaia and, in contrast, made a move stick to lead the field over the line at the end of the opening lap.
From there, the Italian set a metronomic pace of consistent 1:45 laps that no one could keep up with.
Championship rivals Bagnaia and Martin battled it out for runner-up for the better part of the race, exchanging some feisty punches. However, Martin ran into some front tyre issues and eventually made it an easy overtake to pull away for Bagnaia.
Disaster struck for the championship leader shortly after though when he lost the front and went down and out on Lap 14.
Fabio Quartararo inherited a podium position in third and was suddenly even in contention for second when Martin lost time trying to fix what looked like a broken zipper on his leathers.
The Spaniard re-established a gap, but there was more drama to come on the closing lap when he missed his braking marker at Turn 4, ran well wide, and fell behind Quartararo.
A fierce battle ensued between the pair who kept swapping positions with more than one on-the-edge move. Eventually, Martin just about managed to cross the line ahead of his rival for what could turn out to be a crucial 20 points.
Both riders were visibly exhausted in parc ferme with Quartararo admitting that "It was a tough race, to be honest."
"I gave everything, but it was tough. Under acceleration on the straight we were losing so much, but my crew chief told me that I did my best race - one of my best - so I can go to sleep quite well. What a race! We didn't make any mistakes."
Brad Binder gradually found his rhythm throughout the race and eventually claimed Joan Mir for P4 in the closing stages. Mir nevertheless had an encouraging day and things could have been even better for Repsol Honda with Marc Marquez running in podium contention early on.
A front-end washout on Lap 6 brought an end to those ambitions though, instead forcing Marquez to a comeback exercise that ended in P9.
Bagnaia's DNF is the latest chapter in a remarkable twist of the 2023 championship tale. Formerly running away at the top, a string of mistakes and misfortune means Bagnaia's advantage over Martin is now down to only 13 points, Bezzecchi trailing by 44.
With seven rounds yet to come, the championship is far from decided.
Rider of the day - Joan Mir
It's been a season to forget so far for Mir and Repsol Honda. This weekend, however, the former world champion finally showed glimpses of his talent again.
Already in qualifying and the Sprint, Mir had looked better than he had all year and he followed it up in the Grand Prix race. Riding an error-free 21 laps, the Spaniard took the chequered flag in a well-deserved fifth, more than doubling his championship points haul.
Where the race was won and lost
1/21: MARTIN TAKES LEAD AT LIGHTS OUT, LOSES ON LAP - It's another perfect start for Martin who pips Bezzecchi to the lead, closely followed by Bagnaia. While Martin manages to fight off an attack from Bagnaia initially, he runs wide as a result and falls to third.
1/21: BEZZECCHI POUNCES ON OPENING LAP - Make that three different leaders on the opening lap as Bezzecchi stalks Bagnaia and makes a move stick to hit the front.
5/21: BLOCK PASS DOES THE TRICK FOR MARTIN - Desperate to get past, Martin executes a block pass on Bagnaia, the duo making contact. He eyes up Bezzecchi who is 2.2 seconds up the road.
6/21: MARQUEZ IN THE GRAVEL - There goes the Repsol Honda of Marquez who loses the front going into Turn 1. He is able to swiftly rejoin the race. This leaves Quartararo in a relatively lonely fourth for now.
12/21: NO STOPPING BEZZ - This is a race for second now as Bezzecchi's lead is up to more than four seconds. Martin and Bagnaia remain closely together in P2 and 3.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2023/09/24/3791356-77117053-2560-1440.jpg)
'I felt amazing on the bike' - Bezzecchi on third victory of the year in India
Video credit: TNT Sports
13/21: FRONT END ISSUES FOR MARTIN, BAGNAIA POUNCES - Martin is not looking confident on his front tyre and Bagnaia sits behind just biding his time. He does not hesitate when Martin runs slightly wide through Turns 8 and 9 to dive down the inside and claim the position.
14/21: BAGNAIA CRASHES OUT - Having just taken a position off his main championship rival, Bagnaia loses the front and goes down and out. As a result, Quartararo moves up into a podium position.
17/21: BEZZECCHI AWAY, P2 HEATS UP - Bezzecchi is almost seven seconds up and away, but things are suddenly looking interesting for P2. Zipping his leathers back up, Martin loses time, allowing Quartarto to get within one second of the Spaniard.
21/21: LATE DRAMA AS GAME ON FOR P2 - It's not over until it's over as Martin misses his braking marker at Turn 4, runs well wide, and falls behind Quartararo. The duo exchange punches with some on-the-edge moves.
21/21: BEZZECCHI WINS DEBUT INDIAN GRAND PRIX - Untouchable at the front, Bezzecchi takes the chequered flag to win the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Martin manages to hold off Quartararo.
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement