2023-08-06 15:41:30
By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 38 minutes ago, Just Updated
Aleix Espargaro won the British Grand Prix. ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS
Johann Zarco (9e) and Fabio Quartararo (15e) end the loss of a masterful Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) on the Silverstone circuit.
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) won the British Grand Prix in MotoGP on Sunday ahead of championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), 2nd and increasing his lead overall.
South African Brad Binder (KTM) completes the podium for the ninth round (out of 20) of the season.
On the Silverstone track, Espargaro, starting from a modest 12th place on the grid, took the advantage over Bagnaia in the last lap of the race and signed his second success in England in the premier category.
«There are days when you feel invincible“savored the 34-year-old Catalan.
When the lights went out, Bagnaia, who started 4th, immediately took the advantage over the Spaniard Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini), 3rd and winner the day before the sprint. He then overtook his Italian compatriot Marco Bezzecchi (VR-46), who started on pole, then the Australian Jack Miller (KTM).
At the end of the second lap, the defending champion was leading the race with Bezzecchi in his wheel – before the latter fell 15 laps from the end.
The field did not remain free for very long for the defending champion who then saw an impressive Aleix Espargaro return to his wheel.
Read alsoMotoGP: the misfortunes of Fabio Quartararo who rolls on his lost fairing after contact
Shortly after halfway, the appearance of raindrops on the circuit could have reshuffled the cards; the white flags – signaling wet portions of the track – were waved, leaving the possibility for the pilots to return to the pits to leave with a motorcycle equipped with rain tires.
But the majority of the drivers – including the leading men – preferred to stay on the track, at the risk of losing grip.
«I would have liked to overtake it (Bagnaia, editor’s note) long before, but when the rain arrived (…) I told myself that I had to stay wiseuntil the last lap, Espargaro explained.
In the championship, Bagnaia (214 points) is now 41 units ahead of his new runner-up, the Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac – 173 pts). Bezzecchi, second overall on Saturday evening, fell to 3rd place, 47 points behind his Italian compatriot (167 pts).
On the French side, Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) finished 9th and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) 15th. Starting 22nd and last on the starting grid, Quartararo gradually moved up the competition, up to 7th place. But the victim of a collision with the Italian Luca Marini (Ducati-VR46), the Frenchman, then 10th, had to return to the garage to change bikes, losing precious seconds.
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