Jorge Martín made a double claim at Le Mans with his superb victory in the Sprint race: he shows Ducati that it should be the one chosen for an official motorcycle in 2025, and he showed muscle to strengthen his position as the first candidate for the title this season. His victory from pole, his third in five short races this year, and the setbacks of Pecco Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi leave the Spaniard alone in the lead of the World Championship, with a 28-point lead.
Marc Márquez also achieved a great result, who started 13th and finished second, the third time in the five Sprints this year, consolidating the return of the best version of the 93. “I was just trying to be in the top 8-top9, so good, super happy. But in the race it will be difficult,” said the man from Cervera.
Maverick Viñales from Empordà closed the Sprint podium.
Hot duel at the start with the two great rivals of 2023 side by side, Martín from the pole, and Bagnaia for the first time this year on the front row, with Maverick Viñales closing the front line. The Italian’s start was a disaster, he ran aground and dropped to 16th position, while the Madrid native stood firm and came out like lightning to start the escape towards victory. He was chased by Bezzecchi and a surprising Aleix Espargaró, third. However, the Aprilia rider had gone ahead at the start and had to pay a penalty of two long laps.
For his part, Marc Márquez, in a weekend that was being elusive, with many difficulties – including a fall – to find speed, started 13th, his worst position on the grid this season. His start was spectacular, jumping to 6th position, in just two corners, on the outside of the Dunlop chicane. Before finishing the first lap he was already 4th after passing Viñales and Miller.
In the first laps, Martín opened a gap of half a second on Bezzecchi, at the same time that the panorama in the World Championship became clear with Bagnaia’s departure from the track on lap 3, which left him out of the game, retired from the race.
In the first laps, Martín opened a gap of half a second on Bezzecchi, at the same time that the panorama in the World Championship became clear with Bagnaia’s departure from the track on lap 3, which left him out of the game, retired from the race.
Aleix Espargaró’s penalty placed Marc Márquez on the podium, in third position. He soon caught up with Bezzecchi and Martín, who couldn’t pull away. The leading trio was 1 second away from the two Aprilias of Viñales and Aleix, who lost position in his second long lap with Bastianini.
Once the halfway point of the race had passed, the leading trio stretched, with Martín opening a gap of 1 second over Bezzecchi, and the Italian another second over Márquez.
The script of a hard-fought finish among the top three was frustrated with the crash of Marco Bezzecchi, last year’s winner, when he lost control of his Ducati tilting on lap 10, just three from the finish line. Second place went to Márquez, who was 2 seconds behind Martín. Viñales got on the podium.
Upon reaching the last lap, Martín had a 2-second margin over Márquez, which could not bother him. Viñales did not see his third place in danger either, since he had Bastianini 7 tenths behind. Aleix Espargaró was fifth and Pedro Acosta, after a good comeback, closed in sixth position.
