Marquez triumphs in rain-soaked San Marino MotoGP as Bagnaia closes in on Martin
Marc Marquez secured his second consecutive MotoGP victory on Sunday at the San Marino Grand Prix, taking advantage of a brief rain shower to overtake rivals and claim his first win in three years. Starting from ninth on the grid, Marquez charged through the field, finishing over three seconds ahead of Francesco Bagnaia.
“When it started to drop some water on the screen that is when I decided to attack, or to take more risk. In one lap I passed five riders and I was able to lead the race,” Marquez explained. He credited Bagnaia for his strategy, saying, “The local guy decided to stay out, so they know better than me.”
Championship leader Jorge Martin, however, made the costly mistake of pitting for rain tyres, only for the rain to ease almost immediately. “I didn’t do the right strategy, that’s for sure… I thought that for winning the race it was better to stop,” Martin admitted. He finished 15th, collecting just one point.
Bagnaia, who opted not to pit, capitalized on Martin’s error, reducing his championship deficit to just seven points. “I saw Jorge enter the pit, I said ‘I don’t need to take any risk, he will not take any points,'” Bagnaia remarked.
(Source: AFP)
