MotoGP: Jorge Martin boosts title hopes with breathless German Grand Prix victory over world champion Francesco Bagnaia

ByEurosport

Updated 18/06/2023 at 16:30 GMT

Jorge Martin won the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. The Spaniard held his nerve against world champion Francesco Bagnaia to seal a win that sees him close the gap to 16 points on championship leader Bagnaia. The defending champion sits on 160 points with Martin – who sealed a first GP triumph since the 2021 Styrian GP – on 144 points after seven rounds of action.

Winner Ducati Pramac Racing Team's Spanish rider Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium after the MotoGP German motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sachsenring racing circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz, eastern Germany.

Image credit: Eurosport

Jorge Martin boosted his MotoGP world title prospects with a breathless victory over nearest rival and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Spaniard reclaimed the lead from the world champion Bagnaia with half a dozen laps remaining and somehow clung on as the inspired Italian – starting on pole and desperately chasing his first victory at the historic Sachsenring circuit – swarmed all over Martin in the closing minutes.

It is Martin's first GP triumph since the 2021 Styrian GP in Austria with over 96,000 fans in attendance witnessing a classic battle in blistering track heat that saw the two leading men touch bikes on the penultimate lap in an intense battle for supremacy.

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In the end, there was little or nothing between the daring, dynamic duo as the briefest of collisions allowed Martin to speed away and maintain his lead which amounted to a winning margin of just 0.064s in a frantic scramble for the line.

“Emotional moment after almost two years fighting for it, finally it arrived,” said Martin. “It was a tough, tough race. Peco [Bagnaia] was pushing so hard.”

Bagnaia continues to lead the World Championship standings for Ducati on 160 points after seven rounds, but Martin – who also won Saturday's sprint race – is only 16 points adrift and well in the mix ahead of the Dutch GP next weekend.

"Jorge was very strong today, but we tried," said the Turin man after falling agonisingly short of a fourth GP win this season.

"We improved compared to Saturday. In the last laps, I was gaining more and more ground, but it wasn't enough to get first place.

"I tried before the last lap, but I touched him and then I was on the limit to catch him, but he was too far away. I am happy with second place. I did my best and now come on from there to Assen."

France's Johann Zarco made up the powerful all-conquering Ducati podium after South African powerhouse Brad Binder suffered a disaster in crashing out on lap 19 after taking turn 8 too fast on his KTM.

At least Binder made it to the starting grid with German GP winning machine Marc Marquez denied the chance to chase a ninth success for Honda in MotoGP's premier class.

Due to starting a lowly seventh on the grid, the eight-time world champion suffered a small fracture to his left thumb after a fifth crash of the week in warm-up earlier on Sunday and will aim to return in time for his assault on Assen next weekend.

"After five crashes, especially the one this morning, I don't feel ready to race, so I've decided not to push,” he said on DAZN.

“Because in Holland there is more to come.

"I don't feel ready. I have many blows to my body and especially my ankle, a small fracture. I'm not ready.”