Motorcycling-Bezzecchi pips Fernandez to win Indonesian GP, Martin retakes championship lead

MANDALIKA, Indonesia, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi ruthlessly hunted down injured Raul Fernandez to win the Indonesian Grand Prix on Sunday, while Jorge Martin came in third to retake the world championship lead from rival Marc Marquez.

Polesitter Fernandez, racing with a fractured index finger sustained in Saturday’s sprint crash, looked untroubled in the opening half of the race as he and Bezzecchi surged away from the chasing pack after safely navigating the first turn.

But the Trackhouse rider began to fade as the afternoon wore on, and a determined Bezzecchi finally pounced with nine laps remaining to seize the lead and secure victory, with Martin completing a podium lockout for Italian manufacturer Aprilia.

Martin’s third-place finish moved him up to 355 points at the top of the championship standings, with Saturday’s sprint-winner Marquez on 353 points after finishing in sixth place.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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