GREATER NOIDA, Sep 23: MotoGP championship contender Jorge Martin on Saturday topped the 11-lap sprint race ahead of the Indian Grand Prix.
The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider and Martin’s rival Marco Bezzecchi had set the qualifying time at one minute, 43.9470 becoming the clear favourite for the sprint race and the marque event at the Buddh International Circuit here on Sunday.
Rain delayed the start of the sprint race by close to an hour.
Martin, however, had predicted the scenario after Saturday’s practice sessions.
And it turned out as he predicted. Starting number one on the grid, Bezzecchi’s teammate Luca Marini’s erroneous braking on Turn 1, pushed the Italian off the track, and five others out of the race.
While Bezzecchi was pushed down to the 17th position, Martin sped away maintaining the lead throughout the sprint.
Martin, who is second in the championship, took 12 points for the sprint while leader Francesco Bagnaia finished second with nine points and eight-time world champion Marc Marquez rode to third spot on the podium.
This was Marquez’s second podium of the season.
However, it was Bezzecchi who defined the exhilarating speed associated with the sport. He rode like there was no tomorrow.
From being pushed to 17th on the opening lap, he was fighting for the fifth place on lap 10.
He successfully pipped Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo for the position. (PTI)
