JAKARTA — Marco Bezzecchi stormed to victory in Indonesia on Sunday as Jorge Martin was third to retake the lead from Marc Marquez in the MotoGP world championship.
The Italian Bezzecchi, riding an Aprilia, made his move on pole-sitter Raul Fernandez in the final third of a captivating grand prix at a sweltering Mandalika International Circuit.
Spain’s Fernandez came home second and compatriot Martin third, also riding Aprilia bikes.
Ducati’s reigning seven-time world champion Marquez finished sixth.
That meant Martin retook the lead in the championship from Marquez by two points, with five more race weekends after this.
Bezzecchi is still alive in the championship title hunt in third.
“It’s amazing, I’m very, very happy,” said Bezzecchi, who sits on 309 points in the standings.
Martin is top with 355, with Marquez on his tail on 353.
“Very happy to be back on the top step of the podium. It was a nice battle with Raul (Fernandez) and I think me and all my team deserve a result like this.
“They have been through tough times with me,” said Bezzecchi according to AFP.
Martin, who will head to Australia in a fortnight with the most slender of leads, said he had done all he could.
“I did the maximum,” said Martin, who started alongside title rival Marquez on the second row of the grid.
“I did my best. At the start I lost a lot of positions but tried to be calm and was overtaking riders step by step.
He added: “We are still in the fight and still in the lead.”
Fernandez, having to improvise to brake after fracturing two fingers in Saturday’s sprint, got away cleanly from his first-ever pole.
He and Bezzecchi, who started alongside him on the grid, had clashed and crashed out in the sprint.
The sprint was won by Marquez to grab the championship lead for the first time from compatriot Martin.
After a third of the 27 laps in the grand prix, Fernandez kept the fellow Aprilia of Bezzecchi at bay despite his injury.
Former world champion Martin was running third, with Marquez looming in fifth without ever really threatening.
Fernandez, who had two previous victories, kept his cool under tremendous pressure from Bezzecchi until lap 19, when the Italian made his move to grasp the lead.
Bezzecchi streaked away from there to win by 4.260sec as Fernandez gamely hung on for second.
