Top 5 Crazy Moments Of MotoGP Bharat 2023

Published September 25, 2023
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From crashes to some of the most brilliant racing action, India’s first MotoGP event had it all

The inaugural MotoGP IndianOil Grand Prix Of India (also known as MotoGP Bharat 2023) was an enthralling experience as we saw everything from crashes to thrilling racing action throughout the September 22-24 weekend. Let’s take a look at the five craziest moments of the racing weekend:

A ‘Crashing Start’ To The Sprint Race

After a delay to the start of the Sprint race on Saturday, chaos ensued at the first turn itself. Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin had an excellent start and pulled off ahead of the pack. Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi, who started from pole, slipped into second and just as he was entering turn 1, his teammate Luca Marini braked a little too hard and collided into the back of Bezzechi’s Ducati. Bezzecchi somehow managed to stay on the bike while Marini crashed, breaking his collarbone in the process.

During the same time at the back, LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl collided with GasGas Factory Racing Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez and then took out Pol Espargaro. Fernandez went on to finish 11th while Bradl and Espargaro’s race ended after the crash.

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Bezzecchi’s Brilliant Recovery To Finish Fifth At The Sprint Race

After his collision with his teammate in turn 1, Marco Bezzecchi slipped down to the last position during the Sprint race. But the eventual BharatGP winner then charged through the field as he started making up places. He made a stellar recovery as he managed to overtake Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales for the seventh spot and then took the sixth spot away from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jack Miller a lap later. By lap 10, he was fighting for the fifth spot with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and eventually passing him in turn four with a late-braking manoeuvre. It almost felt like we were looking at the spiritual successor of Rossi ruling the racetrack with pure grit and talent.

Bagnaia’s Crash Blew The Championship Race Wide Open

The main race on Sunday was off to a blistering start as Francesco Bagnaia, starting at third in the grid, moved up a place into second before turn 1 on the first lap and overtook Jorge Martin at turn 4 before Marzo Bezzecchi passed him at the last corner to take the lead. With Bezzecchi riding on his own at the front for the rest of the race, Bagnaia and Martin were involved in thrilling racing action for second place. Martin braked later than Bagnaia and sneaked past him at lap 5. A few laps later, Bagnaia took second place back from Jorge Martin and shortly afterwards on lap 14, his front washed out and crashed, with Jorge Martin chasing him. His retirement blew the title race wide open with Bezzecchi’s win and Martin’s second-place finish now putting them just 44 and 13 points behind the Ducati rider respectively.

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Martin and Quartararo On A Dog Chase For Second Place

Pecco Bagnaia’s crash allowed Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo to move up to third position. He was moving closer to Jorge Martin at second but an issue with his leathers’ zipper coming off and having to zip it up while riding gave Quartararo the chance to close the gap even further. And with his tyres faded at this point and him being exhausted from the heat, the Primac rider went wide into turn 4 on the last lap. Quartararo, closely following Martin, seized the opportunity and stepped on the gas to overtake him at the next turn. But Martin, desperate to make up for the mistake, used the Ducati’s superior speed and caught up to the Yamaha at the next turn and made a late plunge from the outside to take back second place as Quartararo was leaning in to take the corner. The thrilling action continued right down to the last corner of the race as Jorge Martin finished second and Fabio Quartararo rounded off the podium places.

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Marc Marquez’s Crash And Recovery

After a brilliant third-place finish at the Sprint race, Marc Marquez was off to a steady start at the main race and was running in fourth position while managing to keep up with Bagnaia’s pace. It looked like a steady and impressive performance from the legendary racer till then but on lap 6 into turn 1, the front of his Honda RC213V washed out and Marquez fell to the floor. But he managed to rise back up and continue racing immediately. After having dropped to the 16th place, Marquez managed to finish an impressive 9th at the end of the race.