Bagnaia clinches third straight Austrian MotoGP victory, takes championship lead
Francesco Bagnaia continued his dominance in the MotoGP season with a third consecutive victory at the Austrian MotoGP on Sunday, securing the outright lead in the world championship standings. The Turin-born Ducati rider completed a dream weekend, adding a win in the main race to his sprint victory from Saturday.
Bagnaia’s victory marked his seventh of the season, matching his total from last year with nine races still remaining. This latest triumph underscores his status as the rider to beat, especially in the main events where he consistently outperforms his rivals.
Starting from second on the grid, Bagnaia quickly took the lead from pole-sitter Jorge Martin, who had led the championship standings heading into the weekend. Despite a strong challenge from Martin, Bagnaia’s fearless late braking and control of the race allowed him to pull away and secure a comfortable win.
“Our pace was incredible,” Bagnaia said after the race. “I knew over the last laps anything could happen, so I’m very happy to win three times here.”
Martin, who finished second, acknowledged Bagnaia’s superior pace. “I would have preferred a better start, but we were super close. He pulled away, but at the end of the race, I tried again to push. Second was not what I expected,” said the Spaniard, who now trails Bagnaia in the standings.
Enea Bastianini completed the podium, while six-time world champion Marc Marquez recovered from a disastrous start to finish fourth. Marquez’s race began with a tangle with Franco Morbidelli that saw him drop from third on the grid to 13th by the first corner. Despite his efforts, Marquez was unable to challenge the front runners as Bagnaia extended his lead over Martin in the closing laps.
As rain clouds loomed over the Red Bull Ring, Bagnaia’s control of the race remained unchallenged, securing his eighth consecutive podium finish. The victory leaves Martin searching for answers on how to prevent Bagnaia from claiming a third straight world title, with the next round at Aragon in Spain in two weeks.
(Source: AFP)
