Jorge Martin skillfully performed a wheelie on his motorcycle as he crossed the finish line at the Buddh International Circuit, winning the 11-lap Tissot Sprint race. This exciting moment served as a preview for the upcoming IndianOil Grand Prix of India, which was set to take place on Sunday.
Earlier today, Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team established a qualifying time of one minute, 43.9470, making him the clear frontrunner for the Tissot Sprint and the main event on Sunday.
Martin bags the Tissot Sprint, and Bezzecchi grabs the pole at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India
Martin, on the other hand, had foreseen the situation following the practice sessions on Saturday. He had made remarks about the sprint’s first lap, mentioning that it would be intriguing. Additionally, he described turn one as a challenging and narrow corner, noting that it appeared slightly wider. He expressed that the first gear corner posed difficulties in terms of finding a reference point, but he had managed to find his own, which boosted his confidence.
As anticipated, the outcome unfolded according to his predictions. Being in the top position at the start, Bezzecchi’s teammate, Luca Marini, made a braking mistake on Turn 1, resulting in his own and five other riders’ elimination from the race. Consequently, Bezzecchi was pushed down to the 17th position, while Martin continued to lead the race without any hindrances.
Martin expressed his satisfaction with his performance in the Tissot Sprint by stating that he did not have to give his full effort. Instead, he focused on navigating the turns and increasing the lead while also assessing the prevailing conditions. He acknowledged that there is still room to compete with Marco in the upcoming challenge.
The heavy downpour had altered the track’s conditions.
Former champion Jorge Martin secured a place on the Sprint podium, earning 12 points in the process. Francesco Bagnaia, the current leader in the championship, took second place and garnered 9 points, while the renowned eight-time world champion Marc Marquez claimed the third spot on the podium. Notably, this marked the second time this season that Martin, a former champion, stood on the podium.
Marco Bezzecchi was the one who truly embodied the thrilling velocity that characterizes this sport. He rode with an incredible fervor, never holding back. Starting from a lowly 17th position on the opening lap, he managed to push himself up to compete for fifth place by the tenth lap. In a remarkable turn of events, he managed to surpass Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and secure the coveted position.
Qualifying Two
Marco Bezzecchi achieved a qualifying time of one minute, 43.9470, during an intense Qualifying 2 competition for the first-ever MotoGP Grand Prix in India. In a closely contested battle, the riders pushed themselves to the limit in their pursuit of securing the pole position. Bezzecchi emerged victorious, recording the fastest time and securing his third pole position of the season.
Jorge Martin, riding for Prima Pramac, secured the second position on the starting grid, with a margin of 0.043 seconds behind Bezzecchi. Martin, who has achieved podium finishes in five out of the last eight races, aims to maintain his consistent performance during Sunday’s event.
Francesco Bagnaia, who is currently leading the championship with 283 points, secured the third position on the grid with a time of one minute and 44.2030 seconds during Qualifying 2. Meanwhile, Luca Marini, the teammate of Bezzecchi, qualified fourth with a time of one minute and 44.2150 seconds.
Joan Mir and Marc Marquez, who exhibited relentless determination at the Buddh International Circuit, have achieved a noteworthy milestone this season by qualifying for the second round of the competition. The diligent effort put forth by the Honda team has yielded fruitful results, securing them the fifth and sixth positions on the starting grid.
Marc Marquez’s younger brother, Alex Marquez, had an unfortunate crash at turn 6 during Qualifying 1 while riding for Gresini Racing. As a result, he sustained injuries to his right hand and ribs. It is possible that he will begin the race from the provisional 12th position on the grid. Following the incident, he was promptly taken to the medical center for a thorough examination.
In a thrilling finish, Dixon narrowly edges out Acosta on the final lap to secure the pole position.
An error on the final sector, in the final lap cost Moto2 Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) the pole in Qualifying 2. Acosta was pipped by Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) to clinch the front position on the grid. Dixon’s two minutes, 01.9240 seconds was 0.032 seconds faster than Acosta. Sergio Garcia of Pons Wegow Los40 and Zonta Van Den Goorbergh completed the front row.
Race Leader Holgado Faces Challenging Start from 19th Position
Leopard Racing’s Jaume Masia has secured the pole position for the upcoming Moto3 race on Sunday. Masia recorded a time of two minutes and 09.3360 seconds, positioning himself at the top. Matteo Bertelle from the Rivacold Snipers Team followed closely behind with a time of two minutes and 10.0630 seconds, taking the second spot.
Ayumu Sasaki, representing Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, secured third place on the grid with a timing of two minutes and 10.1040 seconds. It’s worth noting that Daniel Holgado, the current Moto3 championship leader from Red Bull KTM Tech3, did not advance to Qualifying 2 and will start the race from the 19th position.
