Early pressure from Alex Rins and Aleix Espargaro keeping ꦺhim honest on laps three and four were the only times Bagnaia looked like being challenged, however, the MotoGP champion eventually won by 2.5 seconds.

Bagnaia wa♏s overtaken twice by Rins, but as expected his response was quick and sharp🔯 on both occasions as he closed to within one point of Marco Bezzecchi in the championship.

• MoꦛtoGP of 🔥the Americas, Austin - Sprint Race Results 
• Francesco Bagnaia relentless as he wins Sprint race at COTA♚, Fabio Quartararo and Alex Marquez crꦚash

"For sure, it was one of the best days I ever had in MotoGP considering the performance we had during𒐪 the whole day," said Bagnaia.

"My feeling with the bike is growing and in this track, for the first time I’m feeling great. Th🌞is morning with used tyres I was feeling okay, so already I understood where to improve.&🌠nbsp;

"But today for the race it was very difficult because t🐟he conditions were very h🎃ot and it was difficult to stop the bike.

"I was having a lot of locking and si♍ncerely, it was a bit 🐼of a problem at the start of the race. But then I was used to it. Tomorrow will be a different story."

After a chaotic opening Sprint in Po🤪rtimao, and a slightly more controlled second Sprint in Argentina, COTA provided the least amount of drama.

Bagnaia believes one of the reasons for that is due to riders getting a better understanding of ho💛w to race in the short format, while the other is due to the layout of the circuit which he believes could provide more of the same as Portimao. 

Bagnaia added: "We are getting used to the Sprin🔯t race. For sure, the track has less points where you can do crazy things. 

"If you consider that the first race was too intense, the second one had some toꦬuch and contact but not as big as the first one and this one was more calm. 

"Maybe we are getting more used to it but also [it’s because of] the track. In Jerℱez it’s a different story.ꦛ"