The champion returns for his privileges. Pecco Bagnaia completed a round weekend in Jerez with victory in the Sunday race, superb after an intense battle with Brad Binder, and with second place in the Sprint on Saturday. The fall of Marco Bezzecchi leaves him prominent in the leadership of the World Cup.
In this way, the Turin champion makes up for the two zeros that he had linked in the races in Argentina and Austin, and begins to open up a gap over his rivals.
As happened in the Sprint on Saturday, the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaró -on pole- was eaten like a sandwich by the two KTMs, devilish in acceleration, with Miller starting better than anyone, followed by Binder and Jorge Martín, while Bagnaia he overtook the one from Granollers a curve later to relegate him to fifth place.
The start was catastrophic at the back of the pack with a multiple crash involving Quartararo in turn 1 –who lost control of his Yamaha under braking-, Oliveira –who hit his head on the gravel- and the leader Bezzecchi. The Devil was punished with a long-lap for causing the mess.
Race management decreed a red flag, interruption of the test, and a new start from the grid, just as it had happened in the Sprint on Saturday. The race was reduced to 24 laps.
Second start, and second chance for Aleix. This time he didn't go so badly, but the two KTMs -with Binder in the lead- and Martín also passed him. Bagnaia appeared in the fourth corner, passing the Aprilia and the Ducati rider from Madrid to take third. Pedrosa, sixth from the start, kept his position safe, but soon gave way to Marini and Zarco. The Honda Rins and Mir pilots crashed consecutively.
The two KTMs began to pull hard to get away from the Ducatis of Bagnaia and Martín, in pursuit mode. In four laps they already opened half a second of rent.
But Bagnaia, the champion who had two consecutive zeros on Sunday, did not want to miss the opportunity and gave everything. On the fifth lap he collided with Miller to snatch second position and close behind Binder, whom he trailed by 3/10. The Australian, annoyed and relegated, did not accept the Italian's apologies. Martín was also angry with Miller for going too far in the last corner and taking him off the track. The tension grew in the first positions.
The contact with Miller cost Bagnaia to give him the position and see how Binder was moving away to 7-8 tenths (v. 9/24). Behind the Italian, 4 tenths of a second away, were Aleix, Martín and Zarco, with the rod ready for what could happen to the leading trio. Pedrosa was eighth.
Bagnaia went on the attack with 10 laps to go. The Italian, familiar with the style of the Aussie, who was his teammate last year, dealt him a blow during the braking of turn 1 to conquer second position and go after Binder, whom he had 7 tenths behind. The champion, without knowing it, went on to lead the World Championship with the crash of Bezzecchi on lap 17, when he lost control of his Ducati at turn 6.
The laps fell and Binder continued to lead the race, with a 6 tenths of a margin over Bagnaia (v. 19/24). Although the Italian was getting closer and closer. In a turn he reduced four tenths. With four laps to go he already had it to a single tenth, he was very close to the tail of the KTM. And in the last corner he hit the ax to take the lead, with three laps to go.
Bagnaia tried to jerk away from the threat of the KTM, but Binder wouldn't let go. They entered the last lap glued, with 2 tenths of distance. The slightest mistake would decide the winner. Binder accelerated the braking, put pressure on the Ducati, put the wheel in, but could not overtake the champion, who regains the lead.
One of the highlights of the weekend was Dani Pedrosa, a regular KTM tester, who at 37 years old, and after spending two years without competing in the World Championship, collected 13 points in Jerez with his 6th place in the Sprint on Saturday and 7th in the Sunday race.
