Martin wins Indonesia MotoGP sprint to take championship lead

Spaniard Jorge Martin won yesterday’s sprint race at the Indonesia MotoGP to overtake rival Francesco Bagnaia at the top of the championship standings and turn the title race on its head. Pramac rider Martin is now seven points clear of reigning world champion Bagnaia after claiming his fourth straight sprint race victory in hot and humid conditions.
Luca Marini, who claimed pole position in qualifying, took second place, with Marco Bezzecchi completing the podium a week after surgery for a broken collarbone. Martin, 25, will look to capitalise on his new lead at today’s main event after Bagnaia finished eighth, up from 13th after struggling earlier in the day to finish outside the second round of qualifying for the first time this season.
Martin finished more than a second ahead of the Italian Marini, who earlier set a record lap at the Mandalika circuit on the resort island of Lombok. It is the first time Martin has led the MotoGP championship in his career. MotoGP returned to Indonesia last year at a new venue for the first time since 1997.
Sprint result 1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) 19min 49.711sec, 2. Luca Marini (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 1.131 3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 2.081, 4. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 2.720, 5. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 3.121, 6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Gresini) 4.203, 7. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Ducati) 4.981, 8. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 5.465, 9. Jack Miller (AUS/KTM) 7.852, 10. Miguel Oliveira (POR/RNF) 8.942
World championship standings1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) 328 pts, 2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 321, 3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 272, 4. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 201, 5. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 171, 6. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Pramac) 162, 7. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 145, 8. Luca Marini (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 144, 9. Jack Miller (AUS/KTM) 126, 10. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 116
Selected: 15. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 64