The Thailand Grand Prix MotoGP race was nothing short of spectacular as Pramac Ducati's Jorge Martin won an extraordinary duel against Brad Binder and Francesco Bagnaia, closing the gap in the championship battle. However, a track limits breach for Binder on the last lap altered the order, propelling Bagnaia to second and leaving Martin still within striking distance in the title chase.
Race Recap:
Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin, who started from pole position, didn't enjoy the strongest start. Yet, he managed to fend off Luca Marini into Turn 1. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro made his move on the VR46 Ducati moved into second place later in the opening lap, making it clear that the race would be a fierce contest.
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Francesco Bagnaia, who started from sixth on the grid, showed a marked improvement in his start compared to previous races. He quickly claimed fourth place from Alex Marquez on the run into Turn 3. However, a close call with Brad Binder in Turn 9 nearly ended in disaster, causing him to slip two more positions.
While Martin appeared to control the pace at the front, keeping the top 12 riders within about three seconds on lap six, Bagnaia had time to regain lost ground and challenge for the lead.
Initially, he faced some adversity, as a second-lap battle with Alex Marquez concluded with Marquez maintaining his position. Bagnaia then found himself engaged in a heated exchange with Alex's older brother, eight-time world champion Marc Marquez, who sliced across his nose at Turn 5 on lap four.
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Bagnaia, however, didn't let this deter him. The world champions bit down on their proverbial mouth guards and engaged in the fire once more as Bagnaia repaid the favour, making a similarly aggressive move at Turn 4 on the following lap, reclaiming his place and advancing to fifth. A subsequent battle between Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez allowed the leading riders to open up a gap over the rest of the field.
In this leading group, Binder secured second place and closed in on Martin after clearing Marini and Espargaro in successive laps. The two riders briefly threatened to break away together but couldn't manage it. Bagnaia, after overtaking Marini at Turn 3 on lap 10 and being gifted a position by Alex Marquez who crashed out, soon honed in and joined the leading duo.
This set the stage for an electrifying conclusion to the race. Martin, Binder, and Bagnaia all appeared to have a genuine shot at victory.
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Binder's first significant passing attempt on Martin occurred on lap 20 at the Turn 8 right-hander. Although the daring move put Binder ahead, he couldn't maintain a tight line, allowing Martin to regain the advantage upon exiting the corner.
The same situation unfolded during Binder's next attempt, a dive into Turn 3 on the following lap. He nearly collided with the back of Martin at the final corner. Despite this minor error, Binder remained close enough to take another shot at the Turn 8 manoeuvre, which he executed successfully.
In the closing minutes, Martin's primary concern was keeping Binder and Bagnaia at bay.
Binder made his way back towards the front, but struggled to break away from the trailing Ducati duo. On the penultimate lap, Martin attempted to squeeze through a rapidly diminishing gap on the inside of Turn 3.
Bagnaia then saw his opportunity as he sent one of the most audacious moves on Binder and Martin going into turn 12. The 26 year old Italian got a tremendous launch off the exit of turn 11 clearing Binder and then entered turn 12 with the front wheel of his GP23 mere inches ahead of Martin’s as the defending world champion almost rode clean around the outside of the South African and his Spanish title rival. However, Martin had him covered on the exit and the Italian slotted back behind Binder. This was unfortunate for Bagnaia because had he pulled that move off, it would undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest overtakes of all time in any racing category.
Binder's indisputable breach of track limits at Turn 4 on the last lap resulted in a penalty, promoting Bagnaia to second place and mitigating the damage to his championship lead. Thus, the finishing order was rearranged.
Jorge Martin held his ground on the final lap, securing the victory and completing a Thai GP double after his sprint win the day before. Despite Binder's late penalty, his remarkable run to third place deserves recognition.
Heading into the final three rounds, Jorge Martin has narrowed the gap to Francesco Bagnaia to just 13 points. This narrowing of the championship race has heightened the anticipation for the forthcoming final three races.
Marco Bezzecchi, who finished fourth, remains in the championship chase, although he is 79 points behind the leader. Aleix Espargaro secured fifth place for Aprilia, with Fabio Quartararo, Marc Marquez, Luca Marini, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Johann Zarco rounding out the top 10.
While the race featured intense battles and a thrilling conclusion, technical issues forced Aprilia riders Maverick Vinales and Miguel Oliveira to retire.
The Thai Grand Prix's sensational contest has only increased the excitement for the remaining races in the 2023 MotoGP season. With the championship fight becoming more intense, MotoGP fans can look forward to thrilling races that will ultimately decide the title.
