MUGELLO: Marco Bezzecchi won the Italian MotoGP on Sunday to strengthen his bid for a first world title, as Marc Marquez finished seventh on his comeback from injury.&nbsp;Starting from pole, the Aprilia rider won his battle with fellow Italian Francesco Bagnaia who ended up finishing third behind Bezzecchi&#39;s teammate and closest title challenger Jorge Martin.&nbsp;Bezzecchi leads Martin by 17 points in the championship standings after winning his fourth grand prix from the seven raced so far this season.&nbsp;The 27-year-old crossed the line over three seconds ahead of Martin, with Francesco Bagnaia completing the podium after leading for a large chunk of the race.&nbsp;Bezzecchi&#39;s win was a perfect end to the weekend for Aprilia after Martin broke the Mugello speed record during Saturday&#39;s sprint with an astonishing 368.6 kilometres per hour (229 miles per hour).&nbsp;Marc Marquez had threatened the podium on his return from a shoulder surgery and a broken foot suffered in a spectacular crash at the French MotoGP earlier this month.&nbsp;The injury kept him out of the main race at Le Mans as well as the last race weekend in Barcelona, and he flagged towards the end on Sunday, losing his battle with Pedro Acosta and slipping down the placings.

Racing

Marco Bezzecchi won the Italian MotoGP at Mugello from pole position, beating Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia. The victory extended his championship lead to 17 points, while returning Marc Marquez finished seventh after fading late in the race.

Bezzecchi wins Italian MotoGP, extends championship lead

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MOTEGI:&nbsp;An emotional Marc Marquez said he was &quot;at peace&quot; with himself after winning his first MotoGP world title since 2019 on Sunday, capping a remarkable comeback from years of injury struggles.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Spaniard finished second at the Japan Grand Prix behind fellow Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia to clinch his seventh world title with five events to spare.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From Injury to Glory<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It marked a triumphant return from a grueling battle with injuries that began when he broke his right arm in 2020 &mdash; an ordeal that almost forced him to retire.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 32-year-old said his title was &quot;written in the stars&quot; but admitted he had doubted whether he would return to the top.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;Of course I feel happy, but the first feeling is that I feel at peace with myself,&quot; he said.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;It was Marc against Marc for five years, Marc against injury, but especially on the mental side it was difficult.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;I took super difficult decisions, but I closed the circle in the perfect way,&quot; he added.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marquez has been in brilliant form all year and knew that finishing first or second in Japan would seal the title regardless of where his brother and closest championship rival, Alex, finished.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Records and Rivalries<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He wrapped up the world championship in Japan for the fourth time in his career &mdash; following triumphs in 2014, 2016 and 2018 &mdash; and now draws level with Italian motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi on seven titles.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After crossing the line, Marquez raised both arms aloft before sobbing and shouting as his achievement began to sink in.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;One of the good things about humans is you can&rsquo;t forget the bad moments,&quot; he said. &quot;It&rsquo;s difficult to forget because even today, I feel it some days. But the dream comes true.&quot;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marquez has 11 Grand Prix wins so far this year, and his championship points total had already set a single-season record for a MotoGP rider before the Japan weekend.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bagnaia Pays Tribute<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bagnaia claimed only his second Grand Prix win of what has been a frustrating season for the two-time world champion.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Italian also won Saturday&rsquo;s sprint and looked back to his best all weekend. He paid tribute to Marquez&rsquo;s achievement, saying Marquez &quot;did amazing things this season.&quot;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;He was starting in a fantastic way, then he had two or three races where he needed to calm down a bit,&quot; Bagnaia said. &quot;Then he was a machine for the rest of the season, so congratulations to him.&quot;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bagnaia started the race from pole and held his lead into the first turn, with Marquez maintaining his position from third on the grid.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marquez overtook Pedro Acosta to move into second just before the halfway mark, and from there it was a procession to the title.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bagnaia had a scare when smoke started coming from his Ducati with about nine laps remaining, but he held on to win in Japan for the second year in a row.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honda&rsquo;s Joan Mir finished third, followed by Aprilia&rsquo;s Marco Bezzecchi. Alex Marquez came in sixth.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marc Marquez is in his first season with Ducati and said it had been &quot;a very long journey&quot; to the championship.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;We took some difficult, important decisions but always followed my instincts,&quot; he said. &quot;The people around me helped a lot to make those decisions, but just to give me the chance to follow my instincts.&quot;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outgoing world champion Jorge Martin was ruled out of the Grand Prix after fracturing his collarbone in a crash with teammate Bezzecchi in Saturday&rsquo;s sprint.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trackhouse&rsquo;s Japanese rider Ai Ogura was denied a first MotoGP appearance at his home race after withdrawing with a hand injury.

 An emotional Marc Marquez said he was "at peace" with himself after winning his first MotoGP world title since 2019 on Sunday, capping a remarkable comeback from years of injury struggles.

Articles tagged with "MotoGP"

Bezzecchi wins Italian MotoGP, extends championship lead

Emotional Marc Marquez wins seventh MotoGP title to equal Rossi

Bezzecchi wins Italian MotoGP, extends championship lead