Bagnaia Takes Sprint Victory, Filip Salač to Start from Second in Moto2

Saturday’s action at the Creditas Autodrom Brno culminated in the Tissot Sprint, where Francesco Bagnaia claimed victory and the top step of the podium in front of Grandstand C. Close behind the factory Ducati rider finished Ai Ogura, who had secured pole position for both the sprint race and Sunday’s Grand Prix in qualifying earlier today. With a lap of 1:51.139, he shattered last year’s qualifying record by more than a second.

Bagnaia, Ogura and third-placed Marc Marquez crossed the finish line separated by less than eight-tenths of a second, offering a glimpse of the close battles fans can expect in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Six riders failed to finish the sprint after crashing, including championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Filip Salač, the rider attracting the most attention from the grandstands, completed the crucial qualifying session for tomorrow’s race and will start from second on the grid alongside race winner David Alonso, with Daniel Holgado lining up third.

“It wasn’t easy at all in that heat. I really didn’t expect to go under 1:58 with the asphalt at 50 degrees, but I think second place is a great starting position for tomorrow’s race. I think my fan base has grown a little bit. It’s great. I’m enjoying it. It’s demanding, though, because right now I’m completely exhausted,” Filip Salač said while speaking to the media.

Saturday also featured the first weekend race of the Moto4 Northern Cup, with three Czech riders on the grid. Roman Durdis produced the best result, narrowly missing out on fourth place in a photo finish and ultimately taking fifth. Viktor Čech finished seventh, while Adam Vyskočil held on to ninth place.

Sunday’s schedule begins with the second Moto4 Northern Cup race at 8:45 a.m. The Moto3 race is set to start at 11:00 a.m., followed by Moto2 at 12:15 p.m. The Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia will get underway at 2:00 p.m.