THE MARTINATOR IS BACK Jorge Martin wins the sprint race at COTA and takes the championship lead!

(Patria) - The Martinator is back, news that will delight all MotoGP racing fans.

Jorge Martin on Aprilia defeated Francesco Bagnaia in a crazy finish to the sprint race at COTA, in Texas (USA).

The entire sprint race was actually dramatic. Fabio Di Giannantonio from the VR46 team started from pole position, but lost several positions at the start, so Bagnaia led the race. After Fabio overtook Marco Marquez on Ducati, the Spaniard tried to regain the position, fell and took the Italian down with him.

Bagnaia pulled away, Pedro Acosta on KTM took second place, and Martin's Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi were chasing him. Soon Martin overtook him, then Bezzecchi, and in a team duel, Bezzecchi overtook Martin and went in pursuit of Bagnaia's Ducati.

However, less than two laps before the end of this race, the championship leader fell, and Martin's path was opened again. He started chasing Ducati and, thanks to a good choice of rear tire, medium, he reduced the gap.

Half a lap before the end of the race, Martin was on Bagnaia's wheel and in the third sector, he literally threw himself in front of the Italian and pulled away for a victory that perhaps means too much to him.

Because Martin suffered from an injury during testing last season and a terrible condition that even required him to be praised. Because of this, he overdid the celebration, holding the bike on its rear wheel for too long in the cool-down lap and then crashing.

Fortunately for him, he escaped without injury, and today's victory is his first in 511 days and has brought him the championship lead.

Acosta finished third, but is under investigation for front tire pressure.

List of riders who finished the race