Motorcycling-Ducati's Bastianini wins British GP sprint, Bagnaia crashes (updated)
03/08/2024 16:58
(Adds details, quotes)
SILVERSTONE, England, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Enea Bastianini
of Ducati produced a scintillating performance to win his first
sprint at the British Grand Prix on Saturday, as twice MotoGP
champion and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia crashed.
The 26-year-old Bastianini had qualified third on the grid
but took the lead from championship contender Jorge Martin of
Prima Pramac Racing on the sixth lap.
"The lap time was too crazy, the sprint has been crazy! It's
my first victory of the year, I'm so happy. My pace was good.
Here at Silverstone, (it) is one of my favourite tracks,"
Bastianini, who moved to third in the championship standings,
said.
Martin had shot off the line from fourth to take the lead on
the opening lap over pole-sitter Aleix Espargaro. With the
podium, the Spaniard reduced the gap to Bagnaia to one point in
the championship ahead of Sunday's race.
"It was really nice to race here in Silverstone. I was
pushing like it was qualifying, but finally Enea was super, was
stronger than me... Hopefully, tomorrow we can bring it to the
first position," Martin said.
Aprilia's Espargaro, who smashed the lap record in the final
moments of qualifying at Silverstone to clinch his second pole
position of the season, was under constant pressure from Martin
before finishing in third.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by
Jason Neely and Ed Osmond)
((PearlJosephine.Nazare@thomsonreuters.com;))