Bezzecchi claims fifth consecutive MotoGP win by taking US Grand Prix in Austin

[p]The 27-year-old Italian rider for Aprilia also set a MotoGP record for consecutive laps led with 121 in taking the 20-lap showdown at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bezzecchi-marco/EXzAZEse/"]Bezzecchi[/a] started second behind Italian pole-sitter [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/di-giannantonio-fabio/pI4o388M/"]Fabio Di Giannantonio[/a], who rides for Valentino Rossi's VR46 team, but the Ducati rider faded quickly to fifth as Bezzecchi seized the lead and kept it to the finish.[/p][p]In leading the first three laps, he broke the previous record for most led in a row of 103 set by Spaniard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lorenzo-jorge/n1majAH4/"]Jorge Lorenzo[/a] of Yamaha in 2015.[/p][p]His winning time of 40 minutes 50.653 seconds was 2.036 seconds ahead of runner-up Aprilia teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martin-jorge/zBBka6dR/"]Jorge Martin[/a] of Spain, who won Saturday's sprint race to take the riders' lead by a point. Spain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/acosta-pedro/KrGeaHq5/"]Pedro Acosta[/a] of KTM was third.[/p][embed guid="c2116b7b-708b-41ee-aeba-08774e0b0edc" url="https://x.com/MotoGP/status/2038357433995624836" social-type="twitter" /][p]Bezzecchi is the first rider since Spain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marquez-marc/UPhfij2b/"]Marc Marquez[/a] in 2014 to win the first three races of a season, Marquez having taken 10 in a row in his run.[/p][p][b]"I'm happy. I'm very happy,"[/b] said Bezzecchi.[/p][p][b]"Yesterday I made a mistake, so it was very important to make a good race today."[/b][/p][p]He praised the crowd, saying of his supporters, [b]"I was very sad, and they gave me a push to bounce back today."[/b][/p][p]Bezzecchi seized an 81-77 lead over 2024 world champion Martin in the season points standings.[/p][embed guid="3fb61af8-6930-4b2c-8ac8-c1e43271ef50" url="https://x.com/MotoGP/status/2038363699061149927" social-type="twitter" /][p]Bezzecchi's victory run also includes last year's closing races at Portugal and Valencia and this year's openers in Thailand and Brazil.[/p][p]Only reigning world champion Marquez, who was fifth on Sunday just behind Di Giannantonio, and Rossi have had longer modern-era win streaks.[/p]