MARCO BEZZECHI WINS IN INDONESIA AS MARTIN TAKES MOTOGP LEAD

Bezzecchi’s win, the 300th victory for an Italian in MotoGP, also kept his faint championship ​hopes alive.

Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

Marco Bezzecchi has stormed to victory in the Indonesian Grand Prix while Jorge Martin finished third to reclaim the overall season lead 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 on Sunday.

Spain’s Fernandez came home second and compatriot Martin third, also on Aprilia bikes.

Ducati’s reigning seven-time world champion Marc Marquez finished sixth.

That meant Martin retook the lead in the championship from Marquez by two points, with five more race weekends remaining.

Martin leads with 355 points, with Marquez on his tail on 353.

Bezzecchi is still alive in the championship title hunt, in third position with 309 points.

“It’s amazing, I’m very, very happy,” said Bezzecchi, who last won a race in May. “It was a nice battle with Raul and I think me and all my team deserve a result like this. They have been through tough times with me.”

‘I did the maximum’

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.

“We are still in the fight and still in the lead,” he added.

Aprilia Racing’s world championship leader Jorge Martin came third in Sunday’s Indonesian GP [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

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.

Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi in action in Indonesia [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]

Bezzecchi streaked away from there to win by 4.26 seconds as Fernandez gamely hung on for second.

- AFP