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MotoGP Indonesian GP: Bagnaia takes vital win from 13th as points leader Martin crashed

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia took a vital Indonesian Grand Prix victory from 13th on the grid to retake the MotoGP points lead after runaway race leader Jorge Martin crashed.

Pramac’s Martin moved seven points clear of Bagnaia after a dominant sprint victory on Saturday and looked on course to inflict further damage on the world champion in Sunday’s contest.

Taking the lead from sixth on the grid off the line, Martin was three seconds out front when he slid off his Pramac Ducati at Turn 11 on lap 13 of 27.

While this initially promoted Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales to the lead, Bagnaia – who leapt from 13th to third in the first three laps – would ultimately overhaul the Spaniard to take the victory.

Vinales held onto second after reeling Bagnaia in over the last lap, with Fabio Quartararo completing the top three on his factory Yamaha in an attritional grand prix.

Bagnaia now leads the championship by 18 points heading to next week’s Australian GP and becomes the first rider in 17 years to win a dry GP from outside of the first four rows.

Martin used the factory Ducati’s new start device to maximum effect to go from sixth to first at the start, as Vinales and Quartararo slotted in behind him.

Bagnaia made a much more aggressive start to the grand prix than he did in the sprint, getting up to eighth in the opening turns.

Source: Autosport

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