Life can be funny, in 2021 when Maverick tried to destroy the bike, Quartararo and Yamaha were top of the world and Aprilia was the worst bike on the paddock. 3 years later, Maverick is tasting victory again and looking unstoppable at the moment while Fabio/Yamaha struggle battling for the points. A good case of falling upwards for Mav, who took his time to regain form but all the confidence Aprilia placed on him seems to be paying off now. You can't judge a rider's performance with a bike after a year nowadays.
I agree that the race was a cracking one until Marc's mistake, which is frankly disappointing but to be honest he seemed to be uncomfortable until then. He needs to reflect on his mistakes and perhaps learn to postpone the desire for victory until he finds himself really comfortable on that Duc.
Acosta, what a race son, I thought he was gonna run out of steam at some point but he lasted the entire race; beating Maverick was too much to ask, but you can't really demand more from the Shark. Dream start to his MotoGP career.
Martín had a mature ride, he would've binned it the previous year, valuable points for him, and Bestia quietly 2nd in the standings. Another factor adding to this year's unpredictability. Bagnaia will be disappointed but this is what he needs to do. I predicted Marc's chances for the championship depended on having more consistency than the inconsistent Pecco and Jorge, but so far reality is showing the opposite picture. The tighter the championship is and the more contenders you add, the less you can afford dropping points for risking too much. Shaping to be a very good year.
The less to say about the Japanese manufacturers, the better. Progress is slow and concessions aren't miraculous.