Bagnaia wins British MotoGP after pole-sitter Zarco crashes

Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia won the British MotoGP on Sunday with championship leader Fabio Quartararo finishing eighth.

Ducati rider Bagnaia moves up to third in the world championship after his second Grand Prix victory in a row following the Dutch MotoGP.

Spaniard Maverick Vinales was second on an Aprilia and Australian Jack Miller of Ducati third.

Pole-sitter Johann Zarco was the big loser as the French rider crashed on the fifth lap while leading as he chased his first victory in the top category.

After 12 of 20 races this season Yamaha’s Quartararo has 180 points, 22 more than Spaniard Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia, who finished just behind him in ninth place, and 51 on Bagnaia. 

Zarco, 32, dropped two places after his mishap and is now fifth overall behind Italian Enea Bastianini.

To win, Bagnaia was patient, sure of the strength of his Ducati. 

After a good start from the second row, he profitted from Zarco’s misfortune to position himself behind Spaniard Alex Rins, who led briefly.

On his first attempt, the Italian was able to overtake Suzuki rider Rins and took off. 

He held off Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales who overtook him before regaining his lead to seal his eighth win in the premier category. 

For defending champion Quartararo the race was made more complicated by a ‘long lap’ penalty for having hit Espargaro in the Netherlands.

While he was in second place behind Zarco, this handicap made him drop to fifth.