BAGNAIA WINS BRNO SPRINT AFTER INTENSE FIGHTS
Francesco Bagnaia delivered a strong Sprint Race victory at the Brno Circuit during the Grand Prix of Czechia, taking control early and holding off heavy pressure all the way to the finish. Starting from pole position, Ai Ogura had to settle for second place by just two tenths of a second, while Marc Márquez completed the podium in third for the Ducati Lenovo Team.
The start of the race immediately changed the order at the front. Bagnaia reacted perfectly from the line, launching from third on the grid to take the lead into the first corners. Ogura, who started from pole, had a poor getaway and dropped behind both Bagnaia and Márquez, leaving the Japanese rider in second place early on.
Behind them, Marc Márquez quickly moved into podium contention after passing Fabio Di Giannantonio, while further back the field began to split due to early incidents. Diogo Moreira crashed on the opening lap, followed shortly after by Maverick Viñales, both riders exiting the Sprint but reported as uninjured.
At the front, Bagnaia initially managed the race with a small gap over Ogura, while Márquez stayed close in third. The leading trio began to pull away from the rest of the field, setting up a direct battle for the podium positions.
Mid-race drama unfolded further down the order when Pedro Acosta engaged in a close battle with Jorge Martín. The two riders exchanged positions several times before Acosta eventually came out on top, only for his race to end early with a crash at Turn 11.
The situation became even more difficult for championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, who crashed out from fifth position at Turn 3. The incident cost him valuable points and marked a major setback in his title campaign, while Jorge Martín moved up into the top five as a result.
At the front, the closing stages saw Ogura gradually close the gap to Bagnaia, with Márquez also beginning to reduce the distance to the leaders. With just a few laps remaining, the top three were running closely together, but overtaking opportunities remained limited.
On the final lap, Ogura mounted one last attempt to challenge Bagnaia, reducing the gap in the final sector, but the Italian kept his composure under pressure. Bagnaia crossed the line just over two tenths ahead of Ogura to secure a crucial Sprint victory, showing strong pace and control throughout the race.
Ogura’s second place capped off an impressive weekend so far, having taken pole position and consistently shown front-running speed. Márquez finished third after a solid and controlled Sprint, ensuring all three podium finishers stayed within a narrow margin at the flag.
Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fourth, ahead of Jorge Martín in fifth after recovering from earlier battles and preparing to serve a penalty in Sunday’s race. Raúl Fernández completed a strong run in sixth, followed by Enea Bastianini in seventh after a charge through the field.
Fermín Aldeguer and Brad Binder rounded out the points-paying positions, narrowly beating Joan Mir in a close fight for the final Sprint points.
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