P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Francesco Bagnaia survived a late scare from Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez to secure the MotoGP Sprint race win in Motegi. The interchangeable track conditions played a part all weekend, but the Sprint race commenced with no rain. Riders opted to stick to the dry compound tyres, believing that the track wasn’t wet enough to […]
The Sprint race began under dry conditions despite the unpredictable track all weekend. Riders chose to stick with dry compound tires as the track wasn’t wet enough to justify a sudden change. The factory Ducati duo of Bagnaia and Bastianini took the lead early on, overtaking Pedro Acosta at Turn 1, with Acosta quickly regaining second place after a mistake by Bastianini at Turn 3. Joan Mir crashed out on the opening lap, while hometown hero Takaaki Nakagami also crashed, leaving him with one more chance to impress his home crowd on Sunday. The race saw intense battles, with Acosta eventually regaining the lead and holding on for his first win in MotoGP, followed by Bastianini and Marquez on the podium, while Ducati dominated the top positions with Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli finishing fifth.
