The Italian fends off Bastianini in Malaysia to say a seventh win of the season, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to clinch the MotoGP™ title
The 2022 MotoGP™ World Championship title race shall be determined on the season finale in Valencia, regardless of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Group) claiming an impressive seventh win of the marketing campaign on the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) made Pecco and Ducati sweat to complete a detailed second, as a wonderful effort from reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) noticed the Frenchman declare P3 to take his title defence to the wire.
P9 to P1, P12 to P3 – the title race stays alive!
The rain was holding off for the beginning of the race as #MatchPointPecco burst into life as Bagnaia obtained a spell-binding launch. The Italian went P9 to P2, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) held onto P1 from pole, Quartararo obtained an awesome begin and was P5 on Lap 1 after passing teammate Franco Morbidelli, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) as much as P9 on the opening lap. Bastianini, the opposite rider within the title body, was P3 behind Pecco.
On the finish of Lap 2, Martin was 0.8s away from Pecco. Bastianini was tucked up proper behind his 2023 teammate in P3, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Group) was 0.7s away from Bastianini in P4, with Quartararo an extra 0.6s down the highway in P5. A mistake on Lap 3 noticed Aleix Espargaro slip from P11 to P14, because the Spaniard struggled to get going within the early exchanges.
Quartararo moved previous Marc Marquez at the start of Lap 5 because the eight-time Champion was vast down at Flip 1. Now, the hole Quartararo needed to bridge to Bastianini and title rival Bagnaia was 2.4s, with the 2 Italians now 1.2s away from race chief Martin.
Pushing on the entrance, Lap 7 then threw up enormous drama for Martin. The Spaniard was down at Flip 5 and what did that do? Hand the result in Bagnaia. As issues stood, with Pecco P1 and Quartararo P3, the hole heading to Valencia can be 23 factors. Shut, however not sufficient for the title to be determined right now. Moreover, Bastianini was nonetheless climbing everywhere in the again of Pecco. A predicament to say the least for Bastianini and Ducati – does he stick, or does he twist?
Quartararo was 2.8s away from the lead duo however cue the Jaws music: a sure Italian driving a Mooney VR46 Racing Group Ducati was coming. That man was Marco Bezzecchi and the 2022 Rookie of the Yr was charging. If Bezzecchi obtained the higher of Quartararo and Bagnaia gained the race, that will be sufficient for the latter to win the title in Malaysia.
An enormous second within the race then got here. Flip 4, Lap 11. Bastainini was up the within, late on the brakes and thru on Bagnaia for the lead of the race he went. Quartararo was nonetheless P3, 2.7s away, with Bezzecchi now simply 0.5s down on his VR46 Academy pal and fellow Italian’s rival.
Race chief Martin crashes out and fingers Bagnaia the lead!
Seven to go. Bastianini and Pecco had been locked collectively, with Bezzecchi proper behind Quartararo. Pecco at this stage of the race appeared to have a greater tempo and at Flip 15, simply earlier than the clock ticked to 6 laps remaining, Bagnaia led once more. Would Bastianini retaliate? Now we had been again to the scenario a couple of laps earlier. If Bezzecchi obtained the higher of Quartararo, and Pecco stayed P1, it might be World Champion Pecco. All the pieces was on the road right here and so as to add to the palpable stress, Quartararo was beginning to achieve on the Ducati duo up entrance.
5 to go. The hole to Bastianini’s rear wheel from Quartararo’s entrance tyre was 1.6s. 4 to go. Pecco led by 0.4s, Bastianini was 1.6s forward of Quartararo, and Quartararo was now 1.3s forward of Bezzecchi. Aleix Espargaro’s title hopes had been now diminishing by the lap, the quantity 41 on his 300th Grand Prix look was P11.
Three to go, the scenario was unchanged. Two to go. Quartararo was marginally faster than the leaders however the hole was 1.5s over the road – not sufficient to mount extra stress. The excellent news for El Diablo was Bezzecchi being 2.4s in arrears.
Electrical begin from Bagnaia sees him leap up seven locations!
The ultimate lap in Malaysia. Pecco and Bastianini had been break up by nothing, certainly the latter wasn’t going to make a transfer at this stage? Flip 4 handed by – the sooner passing level – as Flip 9 appeared. Bastianini didn’t go for a transfer nevertheless it was a bit of shut for consolation. Nothing got here of it although, Bagnaia saved his cool and took the chequered flag to win in Sepang to take a 23-point result in the season finale in Valencia. Bastianini was 0.2s away from victory to complete P2, with Quartararo doing an outstanding job to finish the race on the podium to nonetheless be in with an opportunity at preserving his MotoGP™ crown.
The factors scorers in Malaysia
Bezzecchi’s cost to the rostrum didn’t fairly come to fruition, however P4 for the Italian was one other implausible job completed. Alex Rins (Group Suzuki Ecstar) rounded out the highest 5, the Australian GP race winner was 1.5s up the highway from sixth place Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Group) – the Australian produced an awesome comeback journey from P14 on the grid to assist Ducati Lenovo Group choose up the Groups’ title.
Marc Marquez ended the race down in P7, Brad Binder (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) claimed eighth, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) rounding out the highest 10. After a three-second penalty, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) completed P11 after contact was made with Espargaro at Flip 14, with Morbidelli additionally taking two Lengthy Lap penalties within the race. Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Group), Miguel Oliveira (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Group) and Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) had been the ultimate level scorers. Joan Mir (Group Suzuki Ecstar) – who managed to re-join –, Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Group), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and Tetsuta Nagashima (LCR Honda Idemitsu) crashed out alongside Martin, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Group) pressured to retire with a technical difficulty.
So, after a magical return to Malaysia, we head to Valencia with the MotoGP™ title race nonetheless left on the desk. Bagnaia vs Quartararo, Ducati vs Yamaha, Italy vs France. See you on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
High 10:
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Group) – 20 laps
2. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) + 0.270
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) + 2.773
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Group) + 5.446
5. Alex Rins (Group Suzuki Ecstar) + 11.923
6. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Group) + 13.472
7. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Group) + 14.304
8. Brad Binder (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) + 16.805
9. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 18.358
10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 21.591
