MotoGP San Marino GP Race Report: Marc Marquez rises to the top of the rankings with a victory. Ai Ogura misses his second consecutive race

The 14th round of the MotoGP, the San Marino GP, was held from September 11th to 13th at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy.

Ai Ogura (Aprilia), who missed the previous Aragon GP due to a left-hand injury sustained during training, was absent once again.

The San Marino GP, packed with passionate Italian fans, sees a massive influx of spectators onto the track after the final race for the podium ceremony. Because the circuit is near Tavullia, the hometown of legendary rider Valentino Rossi, the track used to be dyed yellow after races with flags, fan merchandise, and yellow smoke.

Nowadays, many fans can be seen wearing the flags of local hero Francesco Bagnaia and red Ducati merchandise. At the podium ceremony, flags for Marco Bezzecchi, an Italian rider who has been performing well this season, were also visible, and the color red dyed the circuit once again this year.

Ai Ogura misses his second consecutive race

The only Japanese rider competing in the MotoGP class, Ai Ogura (Aprilia), missed the San Marino GP following his absence at the Aragon GP.

According to information provided by the team on September 9th, Ogura, who fractured his left thumb during training, underwent surgery to fix it with a plate on August 27th. According to a doctor's diagnosis on September 8th, he was "not recovered enough to participate in the race." Ogura is working on his recovery for the upcoming Austrian GP, which is part of a back-to-back schedule.

Bezzecchi takes pole position, but Marquez wins the race

Local Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) took pole position in Saturday's qualifying. However, at the start of the sprint race that afternoon, Marc Marquez (Ducati) moved ahead of Bezzecchi.

Marquez, who took the lead from the first lap, went on to win the race. Bezzecchi finished 2nd, and Jorge Martin (Aprilia) finished 3rd, with the two Aprilia riders taking 2nd and 3rd place.

In Sunday's final race, Bezzecchi took the lead at the start. Bezzecchi was holding off Marquez, who was following in 2nd, but crashed at Turn 13 on the first lap. It was a heartbreaking retirement for Bezzecchi.

According to an Aprilia Racing press release, "he hit a small bump before braking between Turn 12 and Turn 13." With the leader Bezzecchi out of the race, Marquez moved into the top spot.

It seemed as though Marquez would maintain his lead, but Martin overtook Marquez on the 7th lap to take the lead. Martin held the top spot for four laps. However, he began to lose pace after the 11th lap. According to the team's press release, he was suffering from symptoms believed to be arm pump in his right arm.

"I couldn't brake well, and I had the feeling that I couldn't ride as smoothly as I wanted. As the laps went on, the strength in my forearm kept fading, and in the end, I couldn't control the bike anymore."

Martin (#89), who led the race for a time, slowed down due to arm pump symptoms. Marquez (#93), who took the lead in his place, won the race. ©MotoGP.com

On the 12th lap, when Martin began to lose pace, Marquez overtook him to reclaim the lead. He took the checkered flag in first place.

Marquez's younger brother, Alex Marquez (Ducati), finished 2nd, and Pedro Acosta (KTM) took 3rd. Martin finished 5th.

Marquez, who won both the sprint race and the final race at the San Marino GP following the Aragon GP, is now tied on points with Martin in the championship, and has risen to the top of the rankings based on the number of victories. For Marquez, this is actually his first time at the top of the rankings this season.

Meanwhile, Martin, who is 2nd in the rankings with the same points as Marquez, is suffering from the aforementioned arm pump symptoms. According to the team's press release and an interview with MotoGP.com, he will consider whether to undergo surgery after the upcoming Austrian GP.

Ogura, who has missed two races, has dropped to 6th in the rankings, 71 points behind the leader.

The 15th round, the Austrian GP, will be held from September 18th to 20th at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.