Bezzecchi sizzles at inaugural India MotoGP

According to the time sheets, the first-ever Indian Grand Prix didn’t appear particularly memorable, but the 21-lap contest held in stifling 33-degree heat will likely go down as a turning point in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.

Just as he did in the Sprint, on-form man Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) nabbed the holeshot but ran wide in the tight Turn 3 to let championship leader Pecco Bagnaia (Team Lenovo Ducati) through. But it was the rider who showed superior pace all weekend, Mooney VR46 Ducati rider and pole man Marco Bezzecchi, who led over the line to start the second lap.

And showing a pace nobody could match, he was never headed, going on to win by a dominant 8.6sec in a showing he himself called “revenge” after being hit in the first corner of the previous day’s sprint race, thwarting his hopes of what probably should have been his first of two victories in India.

An aggressive block pass on Bagnaia put Martin back into second place on lap five, as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) looked strong in fourth ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda), the three former world champs benefiting from one of their best qualifying sessions of the season. But as he’s done far too many times to remember in recent history, the eight-time world champ lost the front of his recalcitrant RC213V and slid out of fourth place on just lap six, remounting to rejoin the race in 16th place.

With just 33 points separating Bagnaia and Martin in the standings, there was far more at stake than the second step of the podium. Bagnaia had to bide his time in finding a way past Martin, the second-placed qualifier and Sprint winner had named the Buddh International Circuit as his “favourite track” after just the first day of proceedings. That time came when the Spaniard ran wide on lap 13 and allowed the reigning world champ through, as Bagnaia put his head down to put some air between himself and the Prima Pramac Ducati that was now behind him.

It looked to be working, too. Bezzecchi was long gone, by now 4.676sec up the road, but if Bagnaia could keep Martin behind him, he’d at least increase his lead in the world championship. But as attentions turned to Mir who was coming under increasing pressure from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) for fifth place, Bagnaia lost the front of his GP23 just one lap later, notching up his third crash of the season as Bezzecchi romped to his third premier-class victory.

Marquez was making up for lost ground, helped by the mechanical retirements of both Augusto Fernandez (GasGas Tech3) and Aleix Espargaro (Team Aprilia), to find himself up to 10th, but it looked as if it was all said and done at the front of the race thanks to Bezzecchi’s 5.4sec lead over Martin, who in turn had 1.6sec over Quartararo, as Mir continued the hard task of holding off Binder a further 1.7sec behind.

Mir lost the rear of his RC213V heading into Turn 8 on the lap 17, but while he managed to stay on, it inevitably let the KTM man through. But all eyes were now on Martin, whose Alpinestars leathers – just as Quartararo’s had during the 2021 Catalunya GP – had unzipped, prompting concerns of a penalty coming the way of the Ducati rider. Taking a hand off the ’bars, he managed to get them zipped back up but it cost him almost a second to Quartararo behind.

The drama was far from over. Suffering heat exhaustion, although we didn’t know it at the time, Martin missed his braking marker heading into Turn 3 on the final lap and ran off the track, which gave Quartararo enough time to get ahead of the Spaniard on the entry into Turn 4. But with Bagnaia out of the race, Martin was desperate to capitalise on his title rival’s mistake and made a desperate lunge around the outside of the Frenchman, which he was lucky to make stick. And he used the superior top speed of the Ducati to hold onto to his second place and 20 important world championship points.

Mir bravely fought back on fourth-placed Binder, but was unable to find a way past by the flag, while the stretched-out field behind comprised Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac) in sixth ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Yamaha), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing), and Marquez (who recovered to an eventual ninth place), with Raul Fernandez (RNF Aprilia) rounding out the top 10.

Aussie Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) had a day to forget. He finished over 31 seconds behind Bezzecchi in 14th place, ahead of only the two wildcard entries of Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) and Michele Pirro (Lenovo Ducati).

With just seven rounds to go, 44 points now seperate the top three riders. Bagnaia’s (292pt) lead has reduced to just 13 points clear of Martin (279) and 44 ahead of Bezzecchi (248). Binder remains in fourth, 100 points adrift, while Miller (109) sits in ninth.

The championship now heads to Motegi in Japan this coming weekend.