P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The key moments in Bagnaia’s 2023 MotoGP title defence
In 2021, Bagnaia made history by winning Ducati’s second MotoGP world title after a 15-year wait, overturning a 91-point deficit. He dominated the first half of the 2023 season and held a 66-point lead after the sprint in Barcelona, but a crash and injury in a collision with Brad Binder allowed Jorge Martin to briefly overtake him in the standings. However, Bagnaia ultimately won the title, with a 39-point advantage over Martin, becoming the first rider since Marc Marquez in 2019 to successfully defend their crown. Bagnaia’s season started strong with a win at Portimao, showing his intent to have a different season compared to the previous year. Despite setbacks and crashes, he reclaimed the points lead in Jerez and secured his second win of the season. After another setback at Le Mans, he bounced back with a win at his home race at Mugello.
