Pecco Bagnaia notched up his third win of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season with a composed run to the flag in the Grand Prix of The Americas Sprint Race at COTA.

The factory Ducati rider fended off a fierce challenge from Alex Rins through the first turns to grab the lead mid-way around the opening revolution, before steadily moving clear to win by three seconds.

LCR's Rins made the most of his front row starting position to take the fight to Bagnaia and briefly lead, the Spaniard capitalising on an error for Aleix Espargaro to take his first podium as a Honda rider.

Jorge Martin dug deep to out-fox Espargaro on the final lap complete the podium from 12th position on the grid, ahead of the Aprilia Racing rider, while Brad Binder completed the top five.

Following two breathless introductions to the new Sprint Race format in Portugal and Argentina, there was high anticipation for a third helping of fast paced action around the Austin venue.

In the end it played out like a regular MotoGP race squeezed into only 10 laps, with Bagnaia quickly getting the hammer down after he'd relieved Rins of the lead on the opening lap down the back straight.

Assuming the baton for Honda in the absence of COTA specialist Marc Marquez, Rins looked to get the hole shot into Turn 1, only to run wide and allow Bagnaia through. Undeterred, Rins shadowed his rival through the sweeping first sector, before scurrying up the inside at Turn 7, much to the defending champion's surprise.

However, the Ducati power would do its thing moments later on the back straight, giving Bagnaia the edge he needed to leave the squabbling to those behind.

Rins attempted to keep pace with Bagnaia, but lost both touch and second place when he ran wide at Turn 12, lifting Espargaro into second position.

He almost third to Quartararo too, the Frenchman having gotten a good start from seventh, but held firm through Turns 13 and 14, despite getting a little Michelin-scented nudge to his leathers in the process.

Quartararo's challenge, however, would last only two more laps when the front of the Yamaha washed out coming round Turn 1. He remounted but couldn't claw back any meaningful ground.

Up ahead Rins - whose unusual lines were leading to some close quarter moments - began putting pressure on Espargaro for second place, the LCR rider getting his man on lap seven with another robust overtake into Turn 7.

He almost lost it again coming into Turn 12 as he struggled to get the Honda slowed on the brakes, his unsteadiness seemingly distracting Espargaro, who proceeded to run wide and lose third to Martin.

He might have lost fourth too had the close-following Alex Marquez not dumped the Gresini Ducati just as Espargaro rejoined the track, the Spaniard's rock solid start to 2023 coming to an abrupt end there and then.

The drama meant Rins was now secure in second place and could afford to play it safe to bring it home in second place for his first podium in Honda colours.

Behind him, the battle for third went down to the wire, with Espargaro recovering onto the rear of Martin's Pramac Ducati before diving for the inside at the penultimate corner.

However, Martin was wise to it, allowing the Aprilia to go through before cutting back on the exit to retake the position and hold it to the flag.

A second podium of the season for Martin, the result - achieved from 12th on the grid - will come as some relief following two crashes during the earlier Q2.

After winning from 15th on the grid in Argentina, Brad Binder was once again a Sprint climber to complete the top five from 11th, holding off a pair of VR46 Ducatis in Marco Bezzecchi - bouncing back from a bad start - and Luca Marini, who came from even further back after running wide at Turn 1 on the opening lap.

Miguel Oliveira fought his way to eighth for two points, while Jack Miller picked up the final digit on offer for ninth.

Elsewhere, Maverick Vinales came away empty-handed after a woeful start dropped him from eighth to 18th, the Aprilia rider getting himself back to tenth at the flag, ahead of Johann Zarco, who went the other way having run fifth on the opening lap.

Bezzecchi's recovery to sixth means he retains his lead in the overall standings, one point ahead of Bagnaia, though both riders benefit from Zarco, Marquez and Vinales scoring zero points in third, fourth and fifth respectively.

MotoGP Sprint Race Results - Grand Prix of The Americas | COTA