Bezzecchi dominates to win first MotoGP race as Bagnaia makes a crucial mistake
Fears for many were realised immediately heading through turn one as Bezzecchi, who was quickest in terms of race pace, led despite Franco Morbidelli attempting to hang it around the outside.
The Yamaha rider tried to carry speed around the sweeping turn one, however, Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia got back ahead of the Italian.
Drama unfolded just a few corners later as Binder crashed at turn five following very small contact with Maverick Vinales.
Still on lap one, Fabio Quartararo’s disastrous weekend got worse as contact with Takaaki Nakagami resulted in the 2021 world champion being shoved off-track and dropping down to P16.
Similar conditions to that of his maiden MotoGP pole in Mugello last season, Fabio Di Giannantonio was a big mover during the early stages as he sat in fifth at the start of lap five.
Following a review from the stewards, no further action was taken regarding the incident between Vinales and Binder.
Still on the same lap, MotoGP stewards also decided that no further action was needed between Nakagami and Quartararo.
Not something we expected to see, at least this early in the season, was MotoGP rookie Augusto Fernandez complete successful overtakes on Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro in back-to-back corners [lap eight].
At the front, Marquez and Bagnaia had no answer for Bezzecchi who continued to turn the screw. A lead that was six tenths during the opening few laps was over 2.5s come the end of lap nine.
His best performance in Honda colours, LCR rider Alex Rins finally got through on Di Giannantonio for fifth on lap 10, as the Ducati rider then came under intense pressure from Johann Zarco.
After quickly getting through on Di Giannantonio, which resulted in the Gresini Ducati rider suffering a bizarre drop as Martin and Jack Miller came through just as fast, Zarco instead made further progress as he got into fifth ahead of Rins.
Starting to show more pace than Marquez, Bagnaia tried his first move for second place at turn eight, however, Marquez responded immediately.
But Bagnaia was not to be stopped as he out-braked Marquez at the penultimate corner, although he did not pull clear on the next lap around.
Looking super smooth on lap 17, Bagnaia made a rare mistake as he crashed at turn 13. Able to get back aboard his factory Ducati, Bagnaia re-joined in 16th and well out of contention.
With his title rival from last season out of the points, Quartararo was finding more and more pace as his recovery continued with taking seventh place away from Rins.
Also on a charge and setting times quicker than any other rider by a full second, was Zarco as he closed in on Morbidelli and Marquez for the podium with four laps remaining.
Catching Marquez for second, Morbidelli was still facing more pressure from Zarco which resulted in a small mistake with 2.5 laps remaining.
Zarco then made the most of his brilliant pace by getting through on Marquez at turn four on the final lap, and although he was gaining large amounts of time on the race leader, Bezzecchi controlled his way through to the finish for a maiden MotoGP win.
