Raul Fernandez fends off Jorge Martin for maiden MotoGP Sprint win at Mugello
Raul Fernandez clinches his first-ever MotoGP Sprint win ahead of factory Aprilia star Jorge Martin
Raul Fernandez has clinched his maiden MotoGP Sprint win after getting the better of Aprilia rival Jorge Martin at Mugello.
As the lights went out it was Marc Marquez who made the dream start as he went from fourth to first by out-braking all three Aprilias.
However, a cautious Marquez was quickly shuffled back through the pack as Fernandez came through at turn three on the opening lap.
Martin followed him through at the same turn, before a fast starting Diogo Moreira muscled his way past Marquez at turn four. Marquez then lost P4 to Fabio Di Giannantonio, before attacking the Italian at turn one on lap two.
But Marquez ran wide which allowed the VR46 rider back past. Down from pole position to sixth, Marco Bezzecchi began his charge back towards the front by picking Marquez off at the final corner on lap two.
With Fermin Aldeguer, Enea Bastianini and Pedro Acosta slightly adrift, Marquez’s slide down the field stopped, while Di Giannantonio gained third spot away from Moreira on lap three.
At the front, Fernandez and Martin checked out although the Trackhouse rider was beginning to pull clear of Martin at the start of lap four.
Trying to fend off fellow KTM rider Acosta on lap five, Bastianini suffered a fast crash at turn ten. Franco Morbidelli also went down at the same turn just a few moments later.
With gaps spreading throughout the top four, the main battle was for fifth which quickly ended on lap seven as Marquez moved past Moreira before clearing off.
Martin then made huge ground on Fernandez with under four laps to go, suggesting a battle for the win was on the cards. But Fernandez responded well with three to go.
After seeing the gap go from one second down to five tenths, Fernandez started pulling clear of Martin once more to win his first-ever sprint.
Martin took second ahead of Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi, while Marquez managed to hold off Aldeguer for a top five on his return from injury.
Francesco Bagnaia finished seventh following a last-lap overtake on Acosta, while Ai Ogura also picked off the KTM star for P8. Rounding out the top ten behind Acosta in ninth was LCR Honda’s Moreira.
