Martin edges closer to MotoGP title in Thailand as Bastianini wins Sprint race

Enea Bastianini took a wholly merited Sprint victory around the Chang International Circuit after a perfect start saw him overtake pole-sitter Francesco Bagnaia and cruise to his triumph.

Jorge Martin fought his way up to second place in a fierce battle with championship rival Bagnaia, extending his championship lead by another two points.

Defending champion Bagnaia settled for third place after losing his lead off the line in dramatic fashion and enduring a tough fight with Martin.

Marc Marquez earned a fourth-place finish as one of the fastest riders on track but failed to pull off an early move on Bagnaia, losing points in the fight for P3 in the standings.

Ducati occupied the top eight spots in yet another show of dominance for the bikes as their factory team boast an 166-point lead to the Prima Pramac Racing team in second.

The weekend’s racing had started well for Bagnaia, securing a pole position and smashing the track lap record, but a disappointing Sprint race saw him lose an additional two points to Martin.

Although there was no error on the start, Bagnaia lost the lead to his teammate Bastianini before the first turn as a fight was sparked with Martin.

Chaos unfolded on the opening lap as the front two rows stormed ahead eagerly, dropping Martin to fourth while Marquez tailed behind Bagnaia in second.

Pedro Acosta was running in fourth, providing Bagnaia with some protection from Martin, but the KTM rider crashed out of the race and opened the doors for the Spaniard.

Martin managed to jump Marquez for third place and set his eyes on Bagnaia, tailing him for three laps until he was finally able to make a move.

Bagnaia did his best to defend by keeping his lines tight, but he left the tiniest gap at Turn 6 on Lap 7 after running slightly wide, allowing Martin to squeeze around the inside.

The championship leader held off Bagnaia until the end of the race despite running over the curbs, putting another two points into his championship lead.

Martin heads into the feature race tomorrow knowing that his bike performs incredibly well around this tricky circuit, making overtaking opportunities a regular possibility.

For Martin to win his first championship, he just needs to finish in second place in every race until the end of the year, with just 99 points up for grabs.

Bastianini cruised to victory while the battle ensued behind, giving him some much-needed space to build a gap and claim the win.

His Sprint win cuts the points gap to Marquez in the riders’ standings down to eight points as he hopes to end the season on a high with a P3 finish in the championship.

Despite his crash in qualifying, Jorge Martin made it up where it actually matters.

Martin came off the line aggressively, challenging Bagnaia around the first turn as he hoped to claim an early lead.

Chaos unfolded on the opening lap, dropping him to fifth place as Marquez arrived on the scene, but he quickly made up the positions.

Swiftly overtaking Marquez for third, Martin stormed after Bagnaia with blistering pace and testy moves around the track.

He almost picked up a penalty for running over the green line a few times, but the risk paid off as he finished ahead of his rival.

A bold move around Turn 6 saw him finally pull off the overtake on Bagnaia, going on to defend his position until the final corner and take second place.

With just five races to go in the season, Martin picked up as many points as he could to extend his lead at the top of the standings.

1/13 BASTIANINI SNATCHES THE LEAD OFF THE LINE – Francesco Bagnaia gets off to a good start, but Enea Bastianini got off to a better one. He jumped Bagnaia for the lead, who fell under severe pressure from Martin looking for a way around.

4/13 MARTIN UP TO THIRD – Jorge Martin inherited Pedro Acosta’s fourth position, using the momentum to overtake Marc Marquez at Turn 11 at the end of Lap 4.

7/13 MARTIN JUMPS BAGNAIA FOR SECOND – Martin pulled off a fine move at Turn 6 on Bagnaia, following the racing line to overtake his title rival from the inside.

13/13 BASTIANINI WINS AS MARTIN EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD – Enea Bastianini picks up another Sprint victory while his team-mate settles for third place, as his championship rival extends his lead in the standings.