(Reuters) – Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia produced a solid performance to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, while world championship leader Fabio Quartararo stormed to second on his Yamaha with a late surge.
It was the third consecutive race win for Bagnaia following his victories at the British GP and the Dutch GP. The Italian finished 0.492 seconds ahead of Quartararo, while Jack Miller completed the podium.
Starting second on the grid, Bagnaia made a lightning start at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg as he overtook pole sitter Enea Bastianini of Gresini Racing on the opening lap.
Bastianini dropped further down to fourth on the sixth lap when Bagnaia’s team mate Miller and Jorge Martin moved up before he was forced to end his race due to a deflating front tyre after running his bike into the gravel.
Martin had looked set for a podium finish but he ran wide at the chicane on the 17th lap, surrendering third spot to Yamaha rider Quartararo.
Quartararo then piled pressure on Miller for second and succeeded with less than three laps to go after pulling off a stunning move in the middle of the chicane.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
