The 2023 MotoGP™ title race pendulum swung one way and then another at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) moved into P2 in the overall standings with a Tissot Sprint P2, as World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) notched up his first Saturday zero of 2023. That left the gap between the Italians at 27 points heading into the Grand Prix race on Sunday.
The top two in the title race led the early running of Sunday's 20-lap Grand Prix, but Bezzecchi's race would end prematurely as he slid out of second place. Bagnaia led for most of the race until Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) struck on the final lap, seeing the #1 claim a crucial 20 points back on Bezzecchi.
Bezzecchi's crash also handed second place in the standings back to Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who produced a valiant comeback to finish P6 after Turn 1 contact saw the Spaniard pushed outside the points. Bagnaia's lead heading to Austria is 41 points over Martin, with Bezzecchi a further six points adrift.
It's race winner Aleix Espargaro who leaves Silverstone happiest though. 30 points were earned by the #41 as he moves up to P6 in the Championship from P8 after returning to the top step of the podium for the first time since the 2022 Argentina GP. Have Aprilia turned their fortunes around after a trickier-than-expected first eight rounds?
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) enjoyed a successful Sunday as a Grand Prix podium, coupled with a 9th place finish in the Tissot Sprint, bagged the South African 17 points. Binder left Assen feeling "guilty" after two podiums were taken away from him due to track exceeding limits, so a return to the rostrum and leapfrogging Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) into P4 in the Championship was a positive start to the second leg of the season.
What do Austria and the Red Bull Ring have in store for us next time out?
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