Bagnaia wins in Spain to go top of MotoGP standings

3 years ago 34

ARTICLE AD BOX

Italy's Francesco Bagnaia in action in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

Italy's defending champion Francesco Bagnaia won the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez to reclaim the lead in the MotoGP riders' standings after four rounds.

The Ducati rider hit the front with three laps of the 24 remaining and held off KTM's Brad Binder to deny the South African a sprint-race double.

Binder's KTM team-mate Jack Miller, of Australia, was third.

Bagnaia finished 22 points ahead of pre-race Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, who crashed out on lap 17.

Binder moved up three places to go third in the standings, while Miller finished the day in fourth.

The two KTM riders led off the start line but the race was red-flagged on the opening lap following a crash involving Yamaha's 2021 championship winner Fabio Quartararo and RNF Racing's Miguel Oliveira.

Oliveira, of Portugal, suffered a dislocated shoulder and was unable to continue.

Bagnaia remained behind the two KTM riders after the restart, and stayed there until lap 15, when he eventually passed Miller before reeling in Binder six laps later.