MotoGP Silverstone: Aleix Espargaro wins after sublime final lap overtake on Francesco Bagnaia

Aleix Espargaro wins Aprilia's first MotoGP race of the 2023 season after beating Francesco Bagnaia in a last-lap showdown. 
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia MotoGP Silverstone 2023
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia MotoGP Silverstone 2023

Unable to hold off the defenses of Jack Miller like in the sprint, Marco Bezzecchi had to slot in P2 as the KTM rider led the way ahead of three Ducati riders and Maverick Vinalesꦡ. 

Making a much better start in the Grand Prix, Bagnaia went forward as opposed to backwards as he claimed P3 off Alex Marquez, before tu൲rning that into P2 after diving to the inside of Bezzecchi.

Bezzecchi responded immediately, hꦉowever, the world champion was not to be denied as he rode around the outside of his fellow Italian at turn nine.

Bagnaia wasted no time in challenging for th📖e race lead as he overtook Miller𝓰 just one corner later.

On lap three there was an incident between Maverick Vinales and Miller, with the Aprilia rider unable to make the apex as he challenged for P𒊎4.

Vi♉nales’ move resulted in him going wide while also pushing Miller off circuit. While the battles intensified at the front, Joan Mir suffered a fall on🍎 lap four. 

As Bagnaia set the fastest lap of the race on lap four🧸, Bezzecchi came acros🍬s the line and bettered his time by just under a tenth.  

As Bezzecchi made a small mistake on the approach 🤡to t🦩urn 15, Alex Marquez saw his Grand Prix end on lap six due to a technical issue. 

Bezzecchi then saw hꦦis race end after making another mistake at turn 15, however, this time he carried more speed into the corner which resulted in him losing the front-end. 

Despite Bezzecchi’s fall seemingly handing Bagnaia a big advantage, the race was far from over as Es𒉰pargaro b🎀egan catching the world champion.

Espargaro closed to within four tenths come t💝he end of lap six, before taking another tenth out of Bagnaia’s lead in sector one [lap seven].

With the two leaders still separ🌞ated by half a second, Vinales began another charge꧃ as he overtook Binder for the final spot on the podium at mid-race distance. 

The Aprilia rider took four tenths out of the top two⭕ as he dragged Binder along wi🦂th him. 

While lap times were similar between the top four riders, Vinales and Binder were continuing to close in on Bagnaia aꦛnd Espargaro. 

Bagnaia then saജw his lead shrink completely with six laps to go as Vinales made his first move at securing P2.

But Espargaro responded straight away which gave the Ducati rider a s꧑mall advantage once again. 

Binder then pounced as both♛ Aprilia riders ran wide at turn 15, while the rain was getting heavier and heavier in th🤡e final sector. 

💫Espargaro tried to respond one lap later but Binder was having none of it as he kept hold of P2. 

Espargaro then secured P2 with four laps remaining before catching Bagnaia immediately. Bind𒀰er was then quickly passed by Vinales who was also showing more pace.&n🎶bsp;

Vinales was then passed by Miguel Oliveira, who had quietly caught the top four and was the f🐬astest rider on circuit for several laps. 

Fꦏurther back, Fabio Quartararo was the latest rider to crash after losing a huge chunk of his fiaring after contact with Luca Marini. 

At the front, Bagnaia was still unchallenged until the final lap but th♛at changed when Espargaro produced a sensational move a turn 11.

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