Marco Bezzecchi says brake pad knock-back was th😼e reason he was almost involved in a “disaster” with Francesco Bagna𒆙ia in the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix sprint.

The VR46 rider was running in the battle f🥃or the victory in the first half of the sprint having retaken second from Pedro Acosta in the opening laps.

But Bezzecchi’s podium hopes vanished when he outbraked ꦓhimself going into Turn 10 on lap seven of 13 and almost wiped out race leader Bagnaia.

Only inches separated the two Ducatis as Bezzecchi🏅 ran off track, though he was able to rejoin to finish in 🃏fourth.

Bezzecchi says he has experienced shaking on his GP23 all weekend at Mꦯandalika, but when it happened in the sprint it knocked his brake pads back for the first time - something he wasn’t expecting.

“Was a big r🧸isk,” Bez🔥zecchi said of that moment with Bagnaia.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it at all because I took aಞ wobble in the change of direction 🃏before the straight.

“But this weekend, to be honest, I took it like one lap yes, one lap no, one lap yes f𝓀or all the sessions. And was always ok.

“But in the sprint my෴ brake pads opened, so thisꦇ is why I braked, released, and braked.

“But because I never had this issue during the weekend, I didn’t expect it💫 at all.

“So, I braked strong. If not, I would have braked earlier and sa🌺ve myself.

“Fortunately I was able to avoid disaster. It’s a shame, but a fourth place anyway is positive and we have another possibility tomorro🥀w.”

Bagnaia says he coul🐎d hear Bezzecchi coming towards the rear of his factꦦory Ducati in the moment and braced himself for impact.

“Before, I heard it, and then I saw it🐟,” the sprint winner said.

“So, when I started to hear it, I started to make the face of the o❀ne chosen to be hit.

“But then I saw him going from the outside, he had good reflexes. It’s very 🔯easy to lock the front there and it was 𒅌very close.”