MotoGP Aragon, Sprint: Marc Marquez dominant as Pecco Bagnaia slumps to ninth

Marc Marquez took a first Gresini Ducati victory in the MotoGP Aragon Sprint, while Jorge Martin took the championship lead as Francesco Bagnaia slipped backwards.

Marquez won in the end by 2.9 seconds, although his lead was up to around four seconds at times, the Spaniard having significantly more pace than anyone else.

While Jorge Martin could not match Marquez' pace, he had more than Pedro Acosta, allowing him to take a comfortable second place. Acosta, meanwhile, took third, in similar comfort, for KTM's first podium since Acosta was third in the Italian Sprint.

Alex Marquez took fourth place, ahead of Miguel Oliveira, and it was while around these two that Francesco Bagnaia's struggles became clear.

The Italian spun his rear tyre off the line, slipping to sixth. Then, in a fashion not dissimilar to Jorge Martin's descent through the field in last year's Qatar Grand Prix after a similar start line slip, Bagnaia began to fall through the field from lap three onwards. Running off track at turn five allowed Marquez and Oliveira through, then Brad Binder passed him for sixth when Bagnaia went wide at turn eight.

Fabio Quartararo was next up for the Italian, but as they battled Enea Bastianini took advantage to seize seventh. Quartararo finally made his move at turn five on the last lap, dropping Bagnaia to ninth, with the reigning champion able to rebuff a move by Marco Bezzecchi at turn 15 on the back straight to hold onto ninth place. Bezzecchi was forced to settle for 10th.

Aleix Espargaro crashed out at the first turn, and there were retirements for Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli, too.