• The high temperatures of the weekend put drivers and machines to the test.
• Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) won the Sprint.
• In the fight with the KTMs of Brad Binder and Jack Miller, Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) won in the final laps of the Grand Prix.
The Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España, fourth round of the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship season, concluded this Sunday, April 30 at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto with the victory of Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Under a blazing sun and with 42°C on the track, the Italian rider won in the final laps against Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Renowned for its mild spring temperatures, Andalusia has exceeded all expectations this year. From the start of the weekend, temperatures were well above the seasonal average. With 30°C on the ground in the morning and 50°C in the afternoon, the grip of the track changed significantly over the hours. These particularly trying conditions did not prevent the pilots from putting on a great show for the public who came in large numbers. By staging beautiful sporting battles, at a very high pace, with times close to the circuit record, the drivers pushed their horses to their limits.
Despite the generally dry and hot weather, rain appeared on Saturday morning, lasting a few minutes, enough time to affect the drivers' strategies for Q2. While some preferred a safe approach by putting on wet tires, others waited until the end of the session to try their luck on slick tires on a drying and tricky track. It was this small group of courageous people who rose to the top of the rankings, taking the first places on the starting line. Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia Racing) took pole ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing).
Contested in high heat and on a track with poor grip, Saturday's Sprint race was marked by a collective crash at turn 2, which forced the race direction to bring out the red flag. Several drivers took advantage of the break to make a fresh start with a MICHELIN Power Slick Soft tire at the rear, replacing the Medium chosen previously. The Medium front tire was popular with all the riders. The Sprint race was won by Brad Binder ahead of Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller.
As with the Sprint, the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España was contested in two stages, after the red flag imposed by the collision between Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) in the first round. During the second start, the two KTMs of Brad Binder and Jack Miller took the lead in the race. Pecco Bagnaia remained in ambush behind this duo until 8 laps from the end. By improving his times over the laps, the Italian first overtook Jack Miller. Then, with four laps remaining, Bagnaia attacked Brad Binder to claim victory. The South African driver didn't give up until the finish... but Pecco remained impregnable.
All riders were equipped with MICHELIN Power Slick Medium tires at the front and rear except Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who had a Hard tire at the front.
« A race fought at a frantic pace from start to finish! ", said Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s 2-Wheel competition manager. “ The times are slightly higher than in 2022 due to the high heat and the low level of grip on the track, but the battle was close. The leading drivers set the fastest laps at the end of the race, demonstrating the exceptional consistency of the MICHELIN Power Slick tires. The choice of Mediums at the front and rear was a success. »
The next round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, the SHARK Grand Prix de France, the thousandth GP since the founding of the Championship, will take place in Le Mans on the Bugatti Circuit from May 12 to 14, 2023. On this occasion the first round of the 2023 FIM MotoE World Championship, with the new Ducati motorcycles and Michelin tires containing more than 50% sustainable materials.
MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix Sprint Results at Jerez:
Results of the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
