The comeback: Bagnaia topples KTM with the pressure piled on

Pick a name out of a hat and stick with it as there’s no predicting the action in the 2023  MotoGP™ season. The Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España did not fail to entertain as the Grand Prix remained completely open right until the final corner. A heroic comeback from the World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) saw the number 1 fend off the Tissot Sprint winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who piled on the pressure in a nail-biting final two laps to fall just short of the victory. Despite Bagnaia snapping up a 22-point lead in the Championship, KTM’s dream weekend continued as Binder consolidated solid points to put himself 3rd in the Championship just 25 points away from Bagnaia, with the previous Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) dropping to 2nd after crashing out. To put the icing on the cake for the Austrian manufacturer Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the Spanish Grand Prix podium, having battled hard throughout the race to make it two KTM’s in the top 3 for both the Tissot Sprint and the Grand Prix. 

The pressure was on as you could cut the tension with a knife on the grid after the fierce and feisty Tissot Sprint was the perfect precursor to MotoGP™’s first Grand Prix on its return to Europe. The eyes were on the KTM’s as the lights went out and both the factory bikes took to the front with Miller leading Binder and Martin through turn 1.

In the meantime, Fabio Quarararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) nightmare start to the season continued as the Frenchman crashed out of the race at turn 2. The 2020 World Champion hobbled away after competing for the same inch of tarmac with Miguel Oliveira  (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Marco Bezzecchi, which saw the Portuguese rider join the Yamaha man in the gravel.