Jorge Martin of Spain secured a thrilling victory in the Thailand MotoGP race, reducing the championship gap to Francesco Bagnaia to just 13 points with three races left in the season.

Italy’s Bagnaia initially crossed the finish line in third place, but he was awarded second after Brad Binder, the South African rider, was penalized for exceeding track limits on the final lap.

The race featured an intense battle between Martin, Binder, and Bagnaia, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Ultimately, pole-sitter Martin, riding for Pramac-Ducati, managed to outpace his rivals and celebrate a well-earned victory.

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Martin praised the experience, saying, “I’m so happy. This feeling is amazing because today I wasn’t better than them.” He expertly managed the race from pole position, preserving his tire grip for a late surge by Binder and Bagnaia.

Bagnaia, the defending world champion, had a 27-point lead in the championship before the weekend, but Martin’s victory significantly narrowed that gap. Bagnaia started from sixth on the grid and was down to seventh on the fourth lap but fought his way back into contention, finishing in second place and describing the race’s last moments as incredible.

The thrilling MotoGP race now heads to Malaysia’s Sepang circuit, with the championship battle expected to continue into the final races in Qatar and Valencia next month.