Peco Bagnaia celebrates British Grand Prix victory

It was pole-setter Johann Zarco on the Pramac Ducati who led the field away from the start with reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo, coming through from row two, on the Monster Energy Yamaha, for second.

The Yamaha rider needed to push hard and try to gain valuable seconds as he faced a long lap penalty in the early stage of the race. The French rider completed his penalty on lap four and dropped back down the field before eventually finishing a damage limitation eighth, passing a battered and bruised Aleix Espargaro on the last lap.

At the front Zarco’s dream of a maiden win in the MotoGP class came to an end on lap five as the French rider crashed out at Vale, leaving Miller out front.

Ecstar Suzuki’s Alex Rins, a winner of the 2019 British GP, led until lap 12 before Bagnaia made his move for the lead at Stowe, followed by Miller two laps later at Village for second.

By lap 16 it was the two Ducati’s and Viñales on the Aprilia battling for the podium with Rins dropping to seventh by the chequered flag. A great race at the front saw Viñales getting the better of Miller, who was struggling with grip, on lap 18.

The Spaniard pushed Bagnaia hard in the closing laps of the race and tried more than once to squeeze past the Italian but never quite made it.

When he ran wide at Stowe and Vale on the last lap it was all over bar the shouting, and Bagnaia crossed the line 0.426 clear of Viñales with Miller third.

It was such a close race the top ten were covered by 6.646, the second closest top ten finish in the history of MotoGP.

In the Championship standings, Quartararo is now 22 points ahead of Aleix Espargaro, but Bagnaia has closed to 49 points off top spot as the series heads to Austria.

“I didn’t expect to win today. Until yesterday I would have been happy with a top-five result,” Bagnaia said.

“We decided to race with a medium-front tyre because we weren’t sure if the soft could hold up to the end, and at first, I wasn’t happy with that decision.

“In the race, though, it turned out to be the right choice because, in the end, it allowed me to be fast still even though the rear tyre was worn. I was able to win this, which is one of the best of my career.” 

In the Moto2 class it was joy for British GASGAS Aspar rider Jake Dixon as he finished third behind Augusto Fernandez and Alonso Lopez.

Dixon was delighted, saying: “Words can’t describe it! I know it’s only a third place but this really feels like a victory, especially from where I came from at the beginning of the race, to where I was at the end.

“I fought until the very end, and I fought like a lion. I was never going to give up and I gave everything I could.”

After fighting his way up to fourth place going onto the last lap, Scotlan’s John McPhee on the Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Husqvarna finished seventh at the line behind race winner Dennis Foggia on the Leopard Racing Honda.

VisionTrack Racing Team’s Scott Ogden had a great race finishing 12th.