MARCO BEZZECCHI STORMS INTO INCREDIBLE WIN AT HOME AS MARQUEZ CRASHES
Saturday firmly belonged to Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, as the Italian rider secured his first victory in two years with a masterful performance on home soil. Bezzecchi and current championship leader Marc Marquez went head-to-head in the Tissot Sprint, but an uncharacteristic error from the #93 saw him crash out, leaving Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio to round out the podium places at Misano.
The charge into Turn 1 was fiercely contested, but Bezzecchi swept around the outside through the opening corners to seize the holeshot, while Marc Marquez muscled past his brother Alex for an early second place. Fabio Quartararo slipped to fourth at the end of Lap 1, with Bezzecchi fending off Marquez’s early pressure.
On Lap 2, Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez exchanged fastest laps, while Quartararo closed to within 0.4s of Alex’s rear wheel. Bezzecchi then set a 1:30.970 on Lap 3 to extend his margin to 0.4s over Marc Marquez, with Alex in close pursuit.
Quartararo’s race ended abruptly on Lap 5 when he crashed at Turn 2 from fourth place, handing fourth and fifth to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 pair, led by Di Giannantonio ahead of Franco Morbidelli.
Bezzecchi’s gap was erased on Lap 5, and on Lap 6 Marc Marquez capitalized on a small error at Turn 4 to dive past at Turn 6. The stage looked set for an intense duel, until drama struck. Marquez crashed out at Turn 15 while leading, suffering his first major Saturday mistake of the season. Despite trying to save it, his Sprint was over.
That left Bezzecchi battling Alex Marquez for the win. Starting Lap 9, Bezzecchi held a 0.5s lead, while Di Giannantonio ran in a comfortable third just ahead of Morbidelli.
With three laps remaining, Bezzecchi had edged his advantage to nearly a second and appeared in full control. Di Giannantonio’s hold on third was less secure as Morbidelli closed in, setting his fastest lap on Lap 11.
As the final lap began, Bezzecchi led by 0.8s, and he kept his composure to convert pole position into a Sprint victory. Alex Marquez and Di Giannantonio brought their Ducatis home in second and third respectively.
Morbidelli narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth, with Pedro Acosta taking fifth just a tenth ahead of rookie Fermin Aldeguer. Luca Marini and Raul Fernandez claimed the final points on offer.
It was a forgettable Saturday for the factory Ducati team, with Marc Marquez crashing and Francesco Bagnaia managing only 13th. Aprilia, meanwhile, will be thrilled with their home hero’s success. The stage is now set for a thrilling Grand Prix on Sunday, don’t miss it.
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