By Kate Adams
Johan Zarco, now a MotoGP Grand Prix race winner, secured his victory by overtaking his teammate on the final lap. This win marked his 120th Grand Prix race, and he celebrated with the long awaited backflip. His teammate, Jorge Martin, had led every lap of the race but made a gamble on a soft rear tire that ultimately failed, causing him to drop to P5 in last lap of the Grand Prix. Due to adverse weather conditions, the Sunday Grand Prix took place on Saturday, and the Tissot Sprint was canceled.
Martin's tire misjudgment played into the hands of Factory Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia, who secured P2 and extended his lead to 27 points ahead of next week's Thai GP. Enea Bastianini started in P12 but gained a few positions to finish in P10.
VR46 had a solid performance with Marco Bezzecchi finishing in P6 and Luca Marini in P12. The real highlight for the satellite Ducati team was at Gresini, where Fabio Di Giannantonio earned his first MotoGP podium after battling at the front throughout the race. This remarkable performance came from a rider who is still searching for a seat for the next season. Teammate Alex Marquez finished in P9.
Repsol Honda experienced a challenging race as Joan Mir crashed after contact with Luca Marini, adding to the Spaniard's woes this year. World Champion Marc Marquez earned a single point as he struggled throughout the race. LCR Honda's Alex Rins withdrew due to pain following a qualifying crash, while Takaaki Nakagami finished in P19, gathering valuable data for Honda.
Yamaha also had a disappointing race, with Franco Morbidelli finishing in P17 and Fabio Quartararo in P14.
Turning to Aprilia and RNF, both teams left the weekend wanting more. Factory Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro secured the highest finish in P8, while Maverick Vinales couldn't replicate last week's form and ended up in P11.
RNF faced early struggles, with Raul Fernandez finishing just outside the points in P16 and Miguel Oliveira performing slightly better with a P13. This raises questions about whether Aprilia is still grappling with the challenges of the long stretch of flyaway races.
KTM witnessed strong performances from both riders. Brad Binder fought at the front and narrowly missed the podium, finishing in P4. Meanwhile, teammate Jack Miller was disappointed with the race cancellation, as he believed he could have improved on his P7 position.
Gas Gas had a forgettable weekend, with neither rider earning any points. Augusto Fernandez crashed early in the race, and Pol Espargaro crossed the finish line in P18.
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