MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia wins Dutch MotoGP in Assen to cut Jorge Martin’s lead in championship

Ducati Lenovo rider Francesco Bagnaia won his third consecutive Dutch MotoGP to cut the gap between himself and championship leader Jorge Martin.

The Italian, who won the 14-lap sprint race on Saturday, led from start to finish at the circuit in Assen and finished 3.676 seconds ahead of Martin – with Bagnaia’s team-mate Enea Bastianini in third.

Spaniard Martin had been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Raul Fernandez in qualifying and started fifth instead of second.

Bagnaia has won five of the eight rounds this season and is now just 10 points behind Pramac Ducati rider Martin, who is top of the standings with 200 points.

“It’s incredible. I had to push from the start and suffering a bit from the rear tyre,” said Bagnaia, who is bidding to win his third consecutive world title.

“But lap by lap I improved. We were very fast, very precise. I am very satisfied.”

Bagnaia became the first rider to win three successive races at Assen since Australian Mick Doohan, who achieved the feat between 1996 and 1998.