Bastianini doubles up with stunning British GP win, Martin takes title lead off Bagnaia

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) made it a dream double in Silverstone with victory in the Grand Prix race ahead of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who clinched the championship lead.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) stole the holeshot at lights out, but it was Martin who broke away from the field in the second half of the race.

Bastianini reeled his opponent back in and forced him into an error at Turn 3 on the penultimate lap. With the Pramac rider going wide, Bastianini took the open invitation to take the lead and brought it home.

“It’s been a very difficult race because I made some mistakes at the start and was in fourth place,” he reflected in parc ferme. “But afterwards, I was confident to be able to be back at it again.

“I closed the gap to Aleix [Espargaro] and I closed the gap to Pecco [Bagnaia]. On the last three or four laps, Jorge [Martin] pushed a lot and it was too difficult to close the gap to him.

“But at the end, in the last two laps I always have something more and today has been the same. It’s fantastic; incredible to be back at the top in the real GP.”

Bagnaia had a dream launch off the line at lights out and stole the holeshot ahead of Bastianini. While Bagnaia managed to hold onto the position, Bastianini fell behind Martin and pole sitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).

A group of five with Bagnaia, Martin, Espargaro, Bastianini and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) broke away from the field, but Bagnaia and Martin stepped things up even further halfway through the race and put distance between themselves and the rest of the quintet.

Martin looked in better shape at the front and took the lead off Bagnaia at Turn 3 going into Lap 12 and immediately gained on his opponent.

Behind, Bastianini had responded to the top duo escaping and slotted past Espargaro. He quickly dispatched the Aprilia and took chunks out of the Ducatis ahead.

He caught Bagnaia and when the title defender went wide at Luffield on Lap 14, Bastianini did not hesitate to make his way past and eyed up Martin ahead.

Martin countered Bastianini for the next few laps but eventually could not match the factory rider’s late-race pace. Bastianini reeled him in with three laps to go and started piling on the pressure.

Eventually, Martin was forced into an error on the penultimate lap when he could not stop his bike into Village and went wide. Bastianini went through and brought the position over the line.

Finishing runner-up, Martin still regained the championship lead, now topping the table by three points from Bagnaia.

“Today, paying tribute to Angel Nieto [with the special livery], it was fantastic to finish on the podium,” he said post-race.

“I knew Enea [Bastianini] was a bit stronger at the end of the race. When I was with Pecco [Bagnaia] I tried to manage the fuel consumption and when I saw a chance, I tried.

“The pace was outstanding as always, I think we are reaching a level that is crazy and we are always on the limit. And as soon as I saw Enea was catching, I tried to stay consistent and manage a bit for the end, but he was much stronger today, he was on another level.

“We took back the championship lead, so I’m very happy with that. We move onto Austria.”

Bagnaia struggled heavily in the late stages and took the chequered flag almost six seconds behind. Still, he managed to hold a charging Marquez behind him to secure a podium finish.

“I was trying to manage the rear tyre well, but then I started to lose the front,” he admitted. “The front was dropping a bit and when Martin overtook me, I just tried to follow him. But I lost the front again at Turn 7 and then said, okay, I already crashed yesterday, it’s better to finish the race.

“It was very difficult in the last few laps, also with the rear grip.

“But anyway, I’m happy. The weather made the race better – it was colder, so it was easier to manage the tyres. I hope to see a better result in the next race.”

Marquez eventually had to settle for fourth ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) who found Incredible pace late in the race.

Espargaro came home in sixth ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) was ninth while Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) completed the top 10.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) finished 11th ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) and Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). The last Point on offer went to Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) in 15th.

RIDER OF THE DAY: ENEA BASTIANINI

What a return from the summer break for Bastianini. After clinching his first win of the season in the Sprint on Saturday, he followed it up with another victory in the GP race.

There was no doubt about the Italian’s pace, especially in the late stages of a race, but so far this season, he had hampered his chances, by his own admission, through poor qualifying performances.

Starting on the front row in Silverstone, Bastianini finally fulfilled his potential with an impressive double.

Now trailing Martin by 49 points in the overall standings, Bastianini’s championship challenge has been well re-invigorated this weekend.

WHERE THE RACE WAS WON AND LOST

1/20: BAGNAIA STEALS THE HOLESHOT – Dream launch for Bagnaia who shoots into the lead followed by Bastianini. Espargaro is left hung out to dry by Martin who slots into third.

10/20: GAP OPENS AT THE FRONT – Bagnaia and Martin have stepped things up and put a gap to Espargaro over the course of half a lap, aided by an error from Espargaro at Village.

12/20: MARTIN TAKES THE LEAD – Martin attacks at Turn 3 and makes it stick.

13/20: BASTIANINI ON THE CHARGE – Having quickly dispatched Espargaro, Bastianini took miles out of the top duo and has closed right back in.

14/20: BASTIANINI INTO SECOND – Bagnaia looked in trouble and under pressure from Bastianini. He goes wide at Luffield and Bastianini slots past.

18/20: TOP DUO – Bastianini has now closed the gap to Martin down.

19/20: BASTIANINI CLINCHES P1 – Martin goes wide at Turn 3 and Bastianini takes the open invitation to take the lead.

20/20: BASTIANINI WINS IN SILVERSTONE – It’s a dream double in Silverstone for Bastianini who brings the win home. Martin finishes runner-up well ahead of Bagnaia.

discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer