WATCH: Pecco Bagnaia's breathtaking run to clinch historic win at Indonesian MotoGP in 2023

Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia delivered a thrilling performance at the 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix, securing his sixth victory of the season and reclaiming the lead in the championship standings. The race, held at the Mandalika International Circuit, saw Bagnaia start from a challenging 13th position on the grid but execute a masterful charge through the field to finish first.

The 27-lap race began with Bagnaia quickly making his mark, climbing from 13th to sixth by the end of the first lap. By lap 3, he had pushed into third place, trailing only Jorge Martin of the Pramac Racing Team and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales. As the race progressed, Martin, who led the championship points at the time, crashed out on lap 13, handing Bagnaia a crucial opportunity to move forward.

Here is the video:

Pulling out a huge result when he needed one! 👏



Hop onboard with @PeccoBagnaia for his 13th to 1st charge in Mandalika! 🚀@EG00 | #IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/XpiBkoYAME

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 17, 2023

However, it was far from a straightforward ride to the top. Bagnaia had to battle fiercely against Vinales, eventually overtaking him after six laps of pressure. As the race neared its end, Bagnaia found himself facing a new challenge — rapidly deteriorating tyres. 

With just over a third of the race remaining, he had to fend off Vinales and a hard-charging Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha, who was determined to chase him down. Despite the intense pressure, Bagnaia held his ground, crossing the finish line with a narrow margin of just 0.3 seconds.

“I’m very happy”, says Pecco Bagnaia

This victory was a momentous one for the Ducati Lenovo Team rider, marking his first win since the Austrian Grand Prix in August. It also allowed him to reclaim the lead in the championship standings, with an 18-point advantage over Martin, who had taken the top spot after Bagnaia's disappointing Sprint race the previous day.

Bagnaia expressed his joy after the race, saying, “Incredible! I’m very happy, this win was so important... starting from P13 is very good. Now I’m ready to fight to the end like always.” While Bagnaia celebrated his return to form, teammate Enea Bastianini showcased his skill by climbing from the back of the field to finish eighth.

After a collision with Marc Marquez on the opening lap forced him wide and dropped him to last place, Bastianini served a long-lap penalty and fought back, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.