- Bagnaia wins third consecutive Spanish MotoGP, closes championship gap
- Márquez finishes second, Bezzecchi third after Martín’s elimination
- Bagnaia’s audacious overtakes lead to victory despite Márquez pressure
On Sunday, reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia won his third consecutive Spanish Grand Prix to close the gap in the world championship standings with Pramac Racing rider Jorge Martín, who was eliminated from the race while in the lead.
Marc Márquez, a six-time MotoGP champion, finished second for Gresini Racing from the pole position at the Circuito de Jerez, while Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 Racing finished third.
Bagnaia, who began in seventh place on the third row of the grid, quickly entered the race lead by completing a sequence of audacious overtakes on the first circuit, passing Bezzecchi, Martín, and Márquez.
Martín, who had won the sprint on Saturday, regained the lead shortly thereafter and dominated the first half of the race. However, on the eleventh circuit, the Spaniard suffered a front-end failure on his Ducati, resulting in his demise in the gravel.
Bagnaia encountered a distinct challenge in the latter part of the race, as he transitioned from relentlessly pursuing the lead to defending it while Márquez exerted considerable pressure on him in the final laps.
Márquez, buoyed by the support of the Jerez crowd, passed Bagnaia twice, but the two-time world champion closed the door on Bagnaia to earn his first victory of the season.
