Francesco Bagnaia delivered a stellar performance in the sprint, taking an important win to keep his championship hopes alive. Bagnaia claimed 12 points as he crossed the line ahead of Enea Bastianini and his title rival Jorge Martin. The two contenders are now separated by 19 points as the battle moves to Sunday to decide the champion.

The sprint began with Bastianini launching from eighth to claim the holeshot into Turn 1. Bagnaia and Martin immediately engaged in a battle, with the reigning champion defending against Martin’s early attack and overtaking Bastianini for the lead.

While Bagnaia extended his lead at the front, Martin and Bastianini fought fiercely for second place, with Martin taking the position on Lap 3. However, Bastianini wasn’t ready to give up, retaking the spot on Lap 4. The battle continued until Lap 5, when both Martin and Bastianini ran wide, allowing Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez to close in, with Aleix Espargaro also joining the fight.

Despite Martin building a gap by Lap 7, Bastianini managed to close in, inching closer with every sector. The decisive moment came on the final lap, when Bastianini overtook Martin and held the position to the end.

Aleix Espargaro finished the sprint in fourth, recovering well from an early mistake. It was an emotional day for the Aprilia rider as he prepares for his last race as a full-time competitor. Alex Marquez rounded out the top five, followed by Franco Morbidelli in sixth, who lost touch with the podium battle in the closing stages. Marc Marquez finished seventh after an early collision with Pedro Acosta forced the MotoGP rookie to retire.

Brad Binder’s strong start from 18th on the grid helped him secure ninth, finishing just behind Marco Bezzecchi. Fabio Quartararo earned 10th, outpacing Johann Zarco in the process.

Now, as the championship reaches its climax, Bagnaia’s Saturday victory has set the stage for a dramatic decider on Sunday.