A Ducati Lenovo Team one-two in an unpredictable Jerez Sprint: Marc Márquez takes the win ahead of Pecco Bagnaia

  The Ducati Lenovo Team can celebrate a one-two finish in a dramatic and at times unpredictable fourth Sprint of the season at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. Under heavy rain, Marc Márquez edged Francesco Bagnaia to take victory.

Starting from pole position, Márquez led the first half of the race before being caught first by his brother Alex and then by Fabio Di Giannantonio. As the rain intensified, Marc crashed at the final corner at the end of lap eight. He quickly jumped back on his Desmosedici GP and returned to the pits to switch bikes. After rejoining the race, the reigning World Champion made his way back to the front, eventually reclaiming the lead ahead of his teammate. Bagnaia, after a complicated first phase of the race, was among the first riders to return to the pits for a bike swap. This decision allowed him to gain sixteen positions in around one lap to eventually finish second.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow at 10:40 local time (GMT +2) for the warm-up session, followed by the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain, which will be contested over a 25-lap distance starting at 14:00.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“I can say, in a way, that I crashed at the right place and at the right time! Obviously, nobody ever wants to crash and it was my mistake to stay out on track, but it's never easy to decide whether to pit or stay out. It wasn't the right choice, but luckily I crashed at the last corner: I waited in the gravel trap until all the riders had passed, and then I returned to the pits for the bike swap. When I rejoined the track I realized I was third, and then I worked my way up to first position. We still have work to do ahead of the race in order to make a step forward also in dry conditions.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd
“I didn't get a good start but still tried to follow the riders ahead of me. Then some light rain started and I found myself unable to push, as I was struggling with grip. At some point I hoped that the rain would intensify and kept myself ready for this. I maybe should have pitted one lap earlier to get the tyre up to temperature, but it still went well anyway. I tried to stay with Marc after he overtook me, but when I saw he had another level of confidence in the rain, I chose to bring second place home. I noticed a few things in this Sprint that we can work on ahead of tomorrow's race.”