Jorge Martin responded to his recent MotoGP defeats in brilliant fashion in a thrilling Thailand Grand Prix as the title race hots up.
The Pramac rider came to Thailand under scrutiny after his crash from a comfortable lead in Indonesia and losing victory in Australia to an unnecessary tyre gamble. But he bounced back emphatically, taking pole, winning the sprint and holding firm in an epic grand prix to cut Francesco Bagnaia’s championship lead down to just 13 points.
With three rounds to go, Bagnaia must buck up his ideas on Saturdays if he wants to arrest Martin’s charge, with the factory Ducati rider only seventh in the sprint before scoring second on Sunday.
KTM’s Brad Binder finished second in the sprint and repeated this on the road in the grand prix, only for a track limits penalty to demote him to third. Nevertheless, it was another fine showing for the South African who continues to prove he is a cut above the rest of the KTM stable right now.
Aprilia endured a miserable grand prix as extreme heat from the RS-GP cooked its riders, while off-track a new name has emerged as the frontrunner to take Marc Marquez’s seat at Honda in 2024.
So, with just three rounds remaining in 2023, here are the 10 things we learned from the Thailand Grand Prix.
1. Martin steps up after recent mistakes
Source: Autosport