Jorge Martin takes MotoGP title fight into final day with sprint victory, cutting Francesco Bagnaia's lead

Jorge Martin kept this pulsating MotoGP title race alive heading into the final race of the season after claiming a crucial victory in the sprint race at Valencia.

Francesco Bagnaia left himself with a bit of a mountain to climb in order to claim the title today, after having to progress through Q1, but recovered well in Q2 and started the sprint in second on the grid.

It left the Italian in a good position to get at least a 25-point lead needed to get the job done on Saturday, but thankfully for the neutrals, the drama will extend into the final day.

Despite starting the sprint four places further back in the grid, it was the Pramac rider that surged past him to finish first.

This cuts Bagnaia's lead to a mere 14 points heading into Sunday's winner-takes-all grand prix, and Martin’s ninth sprint race victory this season was surely his most important to date.

The sprint podium was completed by Brad Binder and Marc Marquez, while Bagnaia finished down in fifth and is just about clinging onto his riders' championship.

It was a race to forget for Fabio Quatararo in the Yamaha, as he crashed out in turn 6, as Maverick Vinales, Binder and Marquez were all battling it with Martin for the lead.

However, momentum shifted Martin's way when Binder went too wide at lap eight and allowed the Primac rider to charge clear towards the chequered flag.

Martin elected to go for the medium-soft (rear) tyres heading into the race, and he along with other 14 other riders received an official warning for low tyre pressure ahead of the race.

A further infringement would result in a three-second time penalty, but Martin spoke about his "big gamble" with the tyres after claiming victory.

“I took a big gamble to race with a medium and soft rear, I think we were on the limit,” he told TNT Sports.

“At one point in the race, I saw that Brad was pulling away. I was already on the limit, but I put all my balls into the job.

“I did my 100%, it was win or crash. It went well and hopefully with the good tyres, both front and rear, I can win again.”

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.