Race report

MotoGP Thailand GP: Bastianini wins sprint as Martin extends points lead

Bastianini untouchable in the sprint while Martin beat title rival Bagnaia in a tense battle for second

Enea Bastianini cruised to his second Saturday success of the MotoGP season as he saw off feuding title rivals Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia to win the Thailand Grand Prix Sprint race at Buriram.

The factory Ducati rider capitalised on a scuffle between Pramac's Martin and team-mate Bagnaia at the first corner to grab the lead of a race he would control right to the chequered flag.

He led home Martin in second place, the Spaniard getting the better of title rival Bagnaia to eke his overall advantage out to 22 points with Sunday’s full-length encounter still to come.

The race outcome would be largely assured moments after the start when Martin’s deep inside line into turn one sent him wide on the exit, taking Bagnaia out to the run-off with him and allowing Bastianini to slice past both on the long run to the hairpin.

Once in front Bastianini would assert his control to open up an early half-second advantage that he would extend out to a winning margin of 1.5s.

If Bastianini had it relatively easy out front, then Martin by contrast was made to work hard for second after slipping down to fifth place behind Bagnaia in the wake of their turn one skirmish.

Nevertheless, after disposing of Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez, Martin set to work on relieving Bagnaia of second and duly succeeded with a well-judged overtake coming through the flip-flop at turns 10 and 11.

From here Martin would have the measure of his rival to hold position to the flag and nudge his advantage up with five races of the season remaining, including two sprints.

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In fourth, Marquez faded from the podium battle after a bright start, the Gresini rider having plenty in hand over brother and team-mate Alex Marquez in fifth after Acosta low-sided out of the position on lap four.

His exit allowed Ducati to lock out the entire top eight with Franco Morbidelli (Pramac), Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio (both VR46) taking sixth, seventh and eighth respectively, with KTM’s Brad Binder the only point-scorer on alternative machinery in ninth.

MotoGP Thailand GP - Sprint results

1 - 2
Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	E. Bastianini Ducati Team	23	Ducati	13	19'31.131		181.9		12
2	J. Martin Pramac Racing	89	Ducati	13	+1.357 19'32.488	1.357	181.7		9
3	F. Bagnaia Ducati Team	1	Ducati	13	+2.372 19'33.503	1.015	181.6		7
4	M. Marquez Gresini Racing	93	Ducati	13	+5.402 19'36.533	3.030	181.1		6
5	A. Marquez Gresini Racing	73	Ducati	13	+10.140 19'41.271	4.738	180.4		5
6	F. Morbidelli Pramac Racing	21	Ducati	13	+11.087 19'42.218	0.947	180.2		4
7	M. Bezzecchi Team VR46	72	Ducati	13	+11.538 19'42.669	0.451	180.2		3
8	F. Di Giannantonio Team VR46	49	Ducati	13	+11.680 19'42.811	0.142	180.1		2
9	B. Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	33	KTM	13	+13.692 19'44.823	2.012	179.8		1
10	F. Quartararo Yamaha Factory Racing	20	Yamaha	13	+14.483 19'45.614	0.791	179.7
11	J. Miller Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	43	KTM	13	+18.397 19'49.528	3.914	179.1
12	J. Zarco Team LCR	5	Honda	13	+18.544 19'49.675	0.147	179.1
13	J. Mir Repsol Honda Team	36	Honda	13	+19.265 19'50.396	0.721	179.0
14	R. Fernández Trackhouse Racing Team	25	Aprilia	13	+19.688 19'50.819	0.423	178.9
15	A. Espargaro Aprilia Racing Team	41	Aprilia	13	+19.988 19'51.119	0.300	178.9
16	A. Fernandez Tech 3	37	KTM	13	+21.298 19'52.429	1.310	178.7
17	A. Rins Yamaha Factory Racing	42	Yamaha	13	+21.413 19'52.544	0.115	178.7
18	T. Nakagami Team LCR	30	Honda	13	+23.400 19'54.531	1.987	178.4
19	L. Marini Repsol Honda Team	10	Honda	13	+23.979 19'55.110	0.579	178.3
20	M. Viñales Aprilia Racing Team	12	Aprilia	13	+29.474 20'00.605	5.495	177.5
21	L. Savadori Trackhouse Racing Team	32	Aprilia	13	+39.389 20'10.520	9.915	176.0
dnf	P. Acosta Tech 3	31	KTM	10	+3 Laps 15'44.928	3 Laps	173.4	Retirement
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