At the first ever Grand Prix of India, Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team made history on Sunday as he delivered a commanding performance that left the competition in the dust at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.
Bezzecchi, the Italian rider, showcased his precision and skill, securing a resounding victory with a remarkable 8.649-second lead.
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Battling Bagnaia and Quartararo
Jorge Martin, riding for Primac Pramac Racing, gave it his all on the track, facing fierce challenges from Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team and Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP.
Martin ultimately clinched second place, capitalizing on Bagnaia's unfortunate fall and narrowing the Championship lead to just 13 points.
Last-Lap Thriller: Martin vs. Quartararo
Martin also had to fend off Quartararo in a thrilling last-lap battle, allowing the Frenchman to return to the podium aboard his Yamaha M1.
The trio of Bezzecchi, Martin, and Bagnaia set the pace right from the start. Martin and Bagnaia made lightning-fast starts, overtaking Bezzecchi, the polesitter. Bagnaia launched an aggressive attack to prevent Martin from pulling away, attempting a bold braking maneuver.
Martin's Slip and Bezzecchi's Seizing of the Lead
However, Martin struggled to hold his ground against the reigning world champion and ran wide, slipping to fourth place and surrendering the lead to Bagnaia.
Bezzecchi seized this opportunity and made a move on the #1 position, with Martin dropping to third place.
Bezzecchi then pushed the throttle to the limit, setting the fastest laps and challenging the Ducati top rider. The VR46 machine began to distance itself from the competition as Bezzecchi asked serious questions of the leader.