MotoGP: Jorge Martin boosts title hopes with breathless German Grand Prix victory over world champion Francesco Bagnaia

Jorge Martin boosted his MotoGP world title prospects with a breathless victory over nearest rival and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia at the German Grand Prix on Sunday. The Spaniard reclaimed the lead from the world champion Bagnaia with half a dozen laps remaining and somehow clung on as the inspired Italian – starting on pole and desperately chasing his first victory at the historic Sachsenring circuit – swarmed all over Martin in the closing minutes. Ad It is Martin's first GP triumph since the 2021 Styrian GP in Austria with over 96,000 fans in attendance witnessing a classic battle in blistering track heat that saw the two leading men touch bikes on the penultimate lap in an intense battle for supremacy.

Grand Prix GermanyMartin wins Sprint race in German Grand Prix at SachsenringYESTERDAY AT 14:00 In the end, there was little or nothing between the daring, dynamic duo as the briefest of collisions allowed Martin to speed away and maintain his lead which amounted to a winning margin of just 0.064s in a frantic scramble for the line. Bagnaia continues to lead the World Championship standings for Ducati on 160 points after seven rounds, but Martin – who also won Saturday's sprint race – is only 16 points adrift and well in the mix ahead of the Dutch GP next weekend. «Jorge was very strong today, but we tried,» said the Turin man after falling agonisingly short of a fourth GP win this season.

«We improved compared to Saturday. In the last laps, I was gaining more and more ground, but it wasn't enough to get first place. »I tried before the last lap, but I touched him and then I was on the limit to catch him, but he was too far away.