SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD: Italian Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia raced clear to win the Austrian MotoGP sprint on Saturday and join Jorge Martin at the top of the championship standings.
Spaniard Martin of Prima Pramac Racing finished second, while compatriot Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia completed the podium.
The reigning two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia completed the 14 laps in 20:59.768s, 4.673s faster than pole-sitter Martin, who was hit with a penalty early in the sprint.
The duo now sit tied at the top of the championship standings ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, both on 250 points.
Enea Bastianini, fresh off a sprint-GP double at the British MotoGP, finished fourth on his Ducati and KTM’s Australian rider Jack Miller raced through in fifth place.
Six-time world champion Marc Marquez started third but slid off his Ducati-Gresini bike with five laps to go and did not finish.