MotoGP Spanish GP: Bagnaia beats Binder in anxious purple-flagged lunge

Bagnaia spent worthy of the 24-lap Spanish GP combating with the KTM duo of prolonged-time leader Brad Binder and Jack Miller and handiest moved into the lead on lap 21.

The Ducati rider saved a relentless Binder at bay to net his 2nd vast prix net of the 300 and sixty five days to retake the lead in the standings after erstwhile championship leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed out.

Flee lunge winner Binder and Miller completed the rostrum to cap off a banner weekend for KTM, while Quartararo became tenth after an eventful afternoon for the Yamaha rider.

The lunge became purple-flagged on the gap lap when Quartararo and RNF Aprilia’s Oliveira tangled at Turn 2.

Quartararo made a sturdy birth from 16th on the grid however found himself hemmed in between Bezzecchi – who had a trip exiting Turn 1 – and Oliveira.

The Frenchman would perchance well discontinue nothing to steer certain of contact with Oliveira, which took both riders down and introduced the purple flags out as the air fence mandatory replacing as both riders required scientific consideration.

Quartararo became in a position to inch away with factual some concern in his leg, however Oliveira wanted to be taken to the scientific centre the set up he became identified with a dislocated shoulder.

The incident became positioned below investigation and Quartararo became deemed to had been at fault, the Frenchman slapped with a prolonged lap penalty as he got here to the grid to rob the restart.

On the authentic initiate, poleman Aleix Espargaro got swamped by both KTMs and the identical thing happened on the restart.

Binder grabbed the holeshot from Miller and Pramac’s Jorge Martin, with Aprilia’s Espargaro shuffled down to fourth earlier than Bagnaia.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Manufacturing facility Racing, Miguel Oliveira, RNF MotoGP Racing crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Footage

Bagnaia moved earlier than both Espargaro and Martin on the gap lap to include a podium space, while Miller threw his KTM up the interior of Binder on the closing corner on the 2nd tour to rob the lead.

Binder retaliated on the brakes into Turn 6 on lap four, while Bagnaia would discontinue the identical on Miller subsequent time around with an aggressive switch that drew the ire of the Australian.

It additionally copped Bagnaia a one-direct demotion from the stewards, who compelled the Ducati rider to resign 2nd to Miller on lap eight.

All of this allowed Binder to rob a lead of eight tenths on the initiate of lap eight, although Miller became in a position to halve this gap near the tip of lap 11.

On lap 15, Bagnaia capitalised on Miller running huge via Turn 12 to rob 2nd relieve and eased via on Binder into the closing corner six excursions later having weak the superior corner stride he had to reel the South African in.

Binder did not quit his shuffle over the closing laps, however would perchance well discontinue nothing to disclaim Bagnaia victory and a 22-point lead in the championship.

Miller became factual 0.898s adrift of Binder in third, with Martin fading 2.8s adrift on the chequered flag in fourth having been in the rostrum hunt in the principle half of the lunge.

Aleix Espargaro became fifth earlier than VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini, while Dani Pedrosa (KTM) concluded his wildcard time out with a seventh in his first vast prix since Styria 2021.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) and Quartararo rounded out the tip 10.

Quartararo served his prolonged lap penalty on lap four, however became compelled to rob it once more when he ran out of penalty loop limits.

He rejoined in 16th after his 2nd lunge via the prolonged lap lane, however salvaged tenth from crew-mate Franco Morbidelli, who served an identical punishment having been deemed to bag triggered a collision in the flee lunge.

Fabio Di Giannantonio became 12th for Gresini from Tech3 GASGAS’ Augusto Fernandez, Honda wildcard Stefan Bradl and RNF’s Raul Fernandez.

Marc Marquez’s Honda atomize stand-in Iker Lecuona became 16th, while crew-mate Joan Mir and LCR Honda’s Alex Rins crashed out.

There were additionally unhurried tumbles for Bezzecchi and Pramac’s Johann Zarco, while Maverick Vinales became compelled to retire on the closing lap when the chain on his Aprilia broke.