Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team emerged victorious in Sunday’s race at the Spanish GP at “Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto”, thanks to Bagnaia’s outstanding performance. The reigning two-time world champion not only broke the race lap record with a time of 1’37.449 three laps before the finish but also surged to the lead, significantly narrowing the gap to the championship frontrunner.
Bagnaia executed a flawless start from seventh on the grid, swiftly advancing to fourth position after the first turn. A daring maneuver at turn six and a precise pass at the final corner propelled him to the lead by the end of the opening lap. Despite challenges from Martin, who later crashed out, and a resurgent Marc Márquez, Bagnaia maintained his position at the front, setting a new race lap record and ultimately clinching victory.
Following the Spanish Grand Prix, Bagnaia sits second in the standings, trailing leader Martin by 17 points, with Bastianini closely behind. Ducati leads the manufacturers standings with 133 points, and the Ducati Lenovo Team leads the team standings with 145 points.
Francesco Bagnaia
“It was simply fantastic. We needed such a win, not only for myself but also for the team and everybody working with me. It was a very intense race, and it was crucial to make it to the lead on lap one. The overtake on the outside was really a nice one, I enjoyed it a lot. The race was decided in the last five laps: when Marc closed the gap I only tried to wait and fend off his attacks straight away and after his second attempt I decided to push as hard as I could in order to create a safety margin up to the finish line. I managed to set the fastest lap at the end, and everything went perfectly. I’m really happy: this is my third consecutive win in the full race here and that makes everything even more special.”
Marc Marquez
“I rode even too conservatively in the first five laps. Yesterday’s crash played a part and I wanted to make sure I made it to the finish line. Then I saw the chance to win and I gave it a try. Pecco defended the position strongly and it was good this way. Now winning is not a dream anymore, so let’s enjoy this return to speed and to podium ways.”
