Spielberg, Austria: Pelumba Itali, Francesco Bagnaia mengekalkan prestasi cemerlang apabila memenangi MotoGP Austria, semalam, yang juga kemenangan ketiga berturut-turut walaupun pendahulu keseluruhan, Fabio Quartararo sukar dicabar.
Bagnaia mendahului sejak awal perlumbaan sehingga penamat dengan motosikal Ducati - kemenangan keenam mereka daripada tujuh perlumbaan sejak program MotoGP berlangsung semula - tetapi juara dunia, Quartararo terus berjuang untuk menduduki tempat kedua di sirkit yang tidak memihak kepada jentera Yamaha itu.
Pelumba Perancis itu menjarakkan kedudukan berbanding pesaing di tempat kedua, Aleix Espargaro kepada 32 mata manakala Bagnaia ketinggalan 44 mata ketika masih berbaki tujuh perlumbaan.
"Ia adalah perlumbaan sangat panjang dan sukar," kata Bagnaia, 25, yang memenangi perlumbaan kelima dalam kempen musim ini.
"Bagaimanapun, saya sangat gembira. Perlumbaan sangat mencabar di dua pusingan terakhir dan saya cuba bertenang kerana tidak mahu melakukan kesilapan.
"Tayar motosikal saya semakin menipis dan Fabio sentiasa mengasak sepanjang masa.
"Bagaimanapun, saya gembira dengan keputusan perlumbaan dan kami meraih lima lagi mata."
Bagnaia berkata, dia berharap mampu berada di depan pada perlumbaan di MotoGP San Marino di Misano, dua minggu lagi.
"Fabio bukan fokus utama saya, sebaliknya saya mahu meraih sebanyak mungkin mata untuk mengurangkan defisit."
Quartararo never let up, constantly harassing Bagnaia's team-mate Jack Miller in second and finally bore fruit with four laps remaining.
"That was one of my best races," said the 23-year-old.
"It was so difficult out there and I could have fallen several times. But I am super happy."
Quartararo's consistency this term has kept him ahead of the pack in the world title race.
He has just three victories but has also finished on the podium four times in 13 races and only failed to finish in one race whereas Bagnaia has four retirements to his name.
"Consistency is important and we have done well here," said Quartararo.
"We stayed strong and have secured a very good result."
Miller held on for third, helped when Jorge Martin, who went on to finish 10th, came off his bike on the penultimate lap.
"That was lucky, though, not for Jorge!" said Miller.
"It was a fantastic run but I had run out of everything by the end of the race," the Australian added.
Bagnaia's compatriot Enea Bastianini's miserable run of form since winning his third race of the season in mid-May continued.
Having secured his first ever pole position he saw Bagnaia pass him and although still in contention he rode off into the gravel with 23 laps remaining.
Bastianini at least walked away whereas 2020 world champion Joan Mir took a heavy fall on his Suzuki.
"It could've been a lot worse, so I feel lucky," tweeted Mir, who had his right ankle heavily strapped.
"Initial checks show some bone fragments and fractures in my ankle. Tomorrow I'll go for further checks and an MRI."
Japan's Ai Ogura won the Moto2 race to regain the overall lead in the championship while main rival Augusto Fernandez finished fifth.
Ogura's compatriot Ayumu Sasaki won the Moto3 race. Spain's Sergio Garcia retains the overall lead by five points from his fellow Spaniard Izan Guevara.
hdy/pi/dj
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