Bagnaia had a great start from fifth place on the grid and was third entering turn one, before making his way to first position in a matter of a few corners. Thanks to a fast and consistent pace, Pecco kept himself safely in the lead while managing his margin and – at the same time – preserving the tyres, eventually crossing the finish line 1.3secs ahead of his closest rival. Thanks to today’s win, Pecco is now leading the championship standings with 31 points, while Enea is currently fifth – 16 points in arrears.
During the race Brad pursued Francesco Bagnaia closely and also battled with Jorge Martin; beating the Spaniard to the second step of the podium. The 2-2 scorecard overall represented a shining start to the season and announced the Binder/RC16 package as race winner-in-waiting. Jack was unlucky to slip out of the running on the second lap. He then endured a lonely run at the back of the field and completed the distance outside of the top twenty.
Round two will see the sport and paddock unpack their European Grand Prix set-ups for the first time when they arrive at the Algarve International Circuit in southern Portugal next week. The EU stop will be brief as the third date on the calendar takes the series to North America in April.
Francesco Bagnaia
“We used a different strategy today, after the excellent work done with the team during warm up. Everything went perfectly: I tried to brake hard and waiting an extra moment in order to not use the rear too much and ended the race in the best possible condition. I started a bit slower lap-time wise and then started a bit more as the laps went by. When I saw another rider getting closer, I tried to pull away a bit more and everything went according to plan. Even on this occasion, the team has done an incredible job.”
Brad Binder
“Super-happy to be leaving with 2nd place again. I thought I might have had a bit to catch up and take the lead but every time I got a little closer then the gap stretched again! Anyway, we are happy to start the season this way. I think winning again is only a matter of time. My bike was next-level again, even after the improvements we had made for yesterday, so my team did an immense job. Hats off to them.”
