RACE REPORT | MotoGP Italy 2023

Bagnaia took another victory by one second over Jorge Martín of Spain, while third place went to Frenchman Johann Zarco. This success marked his second double this season, as he has already dominated both the sprint and the main race in Portugal. Bagnaia is currently the reigning world champion.

Despite being the victor in the Saturday sprint, the factory Ducati star lost the initial advantage to Jack Miller at the first turn of the grand prix. However, Bagnaia swiftly maneuvered past his former teammate in the following corner and maintained his position at the front of the pack.

Meanwhile, Bagnaia's title rival and the runner-up in the sprint, Marco Bezzecchi, found himself trapped deep within the group, allowing Pramac Ducati's Jorge Martin to emerge as Bagnaia's primary challenger.

Although Martin, the sole rider among the top six using soft rear tires instead of mediums, initially trailed Bagnaia during the mid-section of the race, he gradually succumbed to the pressure exerted by teammate Johann Zarco and VR46's Luca Marini.

Martin managed to secure his second podium finish of the weekend, with Zarco taking third place and Marini, who bravely rode despite wrist injuries sustained in Le Mans, finishing fourth. KTM's Brad Binder took fifth position, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, Miller and Bezzecchi following close behind.

Alex Marquez, who was penalised for his actions at Le Mans and relegated to sixth on the grid, faced a nervous moment on lap three in the braking zone of turn one. He narrowly avoided a collision with his brother Marco, Marini and Jack Miller.

In a mysterious sequence of events, Marc slipped from fourth place a few laps later when he lost control of his machine during an aggressive lean into the final corner. Meanwhile, Alex's race took an unfortunate turn when he crashed from third place on lap 15 of 23.