The inaugural edition of MotoGP Bharat came to an exciting end with three days of exhilarating races across different categories. The 5km long race track at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) was deafening for most parts with the heat posing an additional challenge for the riders as well as the pit crew.
Officially christened as the Grand Prix of India, this was the 13th race of the 2023 MotoGP season. While the Indian crowd got first-hand experience of the flagship two-wheeler racing event all through the three days, the best was reserved for the last hour as the final race for the MotoGP witnessed some breathtaking motorcycling actions.
MotoGP Bharat: Bezecchi– the undisputed winner
Marco Bezecchi made a clear statement as the Italian rider managed to secure the top spot after an almost perfect final race. Representing the Mooney VR46 Racing team, Bezecchi dominated the race right from the start as the Italian maintained a significant lead over his compatriots in the latter half. As a result, Bezzecchi finished his final lap in 36:59:15 minutes.
The difference between him and the next best Jorge Martin was a staggering 8.649 seconds. Earlier, Bezecchi took full advantage of his pole position courtesy of strong performances in the qualifying rounds and the sprint race from yesterday.
| 1 | MARCO BEZZECCHI (MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM) | |
| 2 | Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) | +8.649 |
| 3 | Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) | +8.855 |
| 4 | Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +12.643 |
| 5 | Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) | +13.214 |
| 6 | Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) | +14.673 |
| 7 | Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) | +16.946 |
| 8 | Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) | +17.191 |
| 9 | Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) | +19.118 |
| 10 | Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) | +26.504 |
MotoGP Bharat: Bagnaia goes down
However, the best action was witnessed in the tail end of the race with world champion Francesco Bagnaia crashing out after slipping on a turn. The Italian rider put up a strong comeback until the 13th lap when the front end washed out and his Ducati went for a toss. Fortunately, there was no serious injury to Bagnaia.
With the Bagnaia out, the race really took an interesting turn with Bezechhi maintaining a comfortable lead over the others and the fight for second place intensifying between Jorge Martin and Fabio Quartararo. The latter almost pulled off a heist in the last lap as Martin struggled in the closing stages with the heat from the track really putting the Spaniard to the test.
A tough battle also ensued between KTM’s Brad Binder and Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir for the fourth spot. In the end, Binder got the better of Mir after flying his way through the pack from 13th on the grid.
