Bagnaia holds off Binder for stunning Jerez win, but nightmare for Quartararo

Like the Sprint race, Jack Miller made the best start of anyone as he immediately took the lead from Aleix Espargaro. 

Teammate and Sprint race winner, Brad Binder, then followed Miller through as he out-braked Jorge Martin.

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Also like the Sprint race, a red flag was deployed before the end of lap one as a collision between Fabio Quartararo, Miguel Oliveira and Marco Bezzecchi resulted in Quartararo and Oliveira crashing out.

Both riders remained down for some time before Quartararo managed to get up under his own power. The same couldn’t be said for Oliveira who was stretchered away before being taken to the medical centre. 

Quartararo was the rider who caused the incident after going for a very narrow gap between Oliveira and Bezzecchi, losing the front-end in the process as he wiped out the RNF Aprilia man.

Prior to the resumption of the Spanish Grand Prix, Quartararo was given a Long-lap penalty for irresponsible riding. 

Starting from pole for the fourth race start this weekend, Espargaro lost out to both KTM riders as Binder swooped around the outside of Miller to lead at turn one. 

Winner last time out, Alex Rins suffered an early fall as he crashed in sector three. Rins remounted his Honda to continue the race, however more disaster struck the Japanese manufacturer as Joan Mir crashed on lap two. 

A lap down following his fall, Rins then retired from the race on lap four. 

After regaining the lead on lap three, Miller was pushed back to second place after Binder came through at the final corner - lap four.

Miller was then pushed down another position as Bagnaia forced his way through, which visibly angered the Australian. 

Tempers flared on lap six as Miller put a hard move on Martin, pushing the Ducati rider to the outside of the circuit in the process, before Martin was seen shaking his head in disgust. 

Further back, Quartararo’s dreadful day got worse as he served his Long-lap penalty incorrectly and had to do it for a second time. 

With his earlier overtake deemed too forceful, Bagnaia was given a one-place drop notification, which he obliged to immediately. The Italian dropped back behind Miller as Binder’s lead grew to nine tenths. 

Miller then ran wide again at turn six on lap ten, which invited Bagnaia to have another look but this time around it was Miller who came out in front. 

Setting a very strong pace in P6, Zarco’s charge towards the front began with 13 laps to go as he gained P5 away from Espargaro. 

After a scruffy lap 15, Miller was eventually passed by Bagnaia on the approach to the Jorge Lorenzo corner. 

On lap 16 Zarco’s charge ended with a crash at turn five, before championship leader Marco Bezzecchi went down one corner later.

On lap 19 came a stunning new fastest lap from Bagnaia as he closed to within four tenths of Binder.

Lap 20 saw Bagnaia reduce the margin to Binder by another two tenths as the battle for the win was on. 

With three laps to go Bagnaia made his move after lining up Binder through turns 13 and 14. The world champion went down the inside at the final corner as he managed to avoid running wide. 

But after making his way through, Bagnaia came back under pressure from Binder as the South African gave it everything on the final lap.

However, Bagnaia’s defence was superb as he held off the KTM rider, taking his second Grand Prix win of the season.