Japanese MotoGP: Jorge Martin wins red-flagged Japanese MotoGP ahead of title rival Francesco Bagnaia

Jorge Martin has claimed victory at the Japanese MotoGP after heavy rain saw red flags deployed twice. 
Jorge Martin, Pramac Ducati MotoGP Motegi 2023
Jorge Martin, Pramac Ducati MotoGP Motegi 2023

ꦚDespite rain beginning to fall moments before the start of the r🌠ace, riders stuck to dry tyres. 

But that soon changed as everyone except Michele Pirro, Fabio Quart꧃araro, Stefan Bradl, Franco Morbidelli and Cal Crutchlow pitted for a bike swap on lap one.

Quartararo and Crutchlow then pitted on lap two but Pirro, Bradl and Morb🦩idelli chose to stick🔯 it out for one more lap. 

Pirro eventually pitted on lap four, as Morbidelli stayed out despite being overtakeꦉn by 16 riders on that same🎉 lap. 

Espargaro, who was the new race🍸 leader, soon came under pressure from the two🅷 main title contenders, as Martin first went through on Bagnaia.

Five corners later and 🍰Martin took the lead as Marc Marquez was slowly going backwards.

After being overtaken by Bagnaia and Martin, Marqu🍎ez lost fourth to Marco Bezzecchi who then followed Bagnaia in getting through on a strugg🐬ling Espargaro. 

Brad Binder was 💟the first rider to crash 🤡out of the race, while at the front Martin saw his lead go from eight tenths to 1.4 seconds on lap 10. 

Instead, Bagnaia was being caught by Bezzecchi and Marquez, as the 𝐆pair dropped Miguel Oliveira as the rain intensified.&nb🗹sp;

Vinales, Raul Fernandez and Crutchlow were give𒊎n Long Lap penalti෴es for an illegal bike swap. 

As conditions de𒀰tiriorated, red flags were waved at the end of lap 13 although they weren’t deployed in time for Zarco to avoid a big crash at the penultimate corner. 

After sendiꩵng riders back out on c🍌ircuit following a 20 minute delay, the race was cut short again as the rain got heavier on the warm-up lap.

Asꦯ a result full points were awared as Martin took the win ꩵfrom Bagnaia and Marquez.

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