Bagnaia triumphs in Malaysia to claim the world title! Quartararo’s third place postpones Ducati celebrations to Valencia

Francesco Bagnaia won the thrilling Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of his compatriot Enea Bastianini. Ducati motorcycles were joined on the podium by Yamaha factory rider Fabio Quartararo. Bagnaia’s seventh win of the season gave him a promising points lead over Quartararo ahead of the final round in Valencia. Only a win for the Frenchman and a fatal mistake by the Italian in the last race of this year’s World Championship can turn this MotoGP title fight on its head!

The championship situation before the race

For the first time in three years, the World Road Motorcycle Championship visited the Sepang circuit in Malaysia for the nineteenth round of the season. Francesco Bagnaia held a 14-point lead over his biggest rival for the title, Fabio Quartara, ahead of the race.

The factory Yamaha rider had no choice but to take a gamble and attempt a miracle on a track which, like the vast majority of others on this year’s calendar, suited the Ducati machines in terms of its characteristics.

Aleix Espargaró on the Aprilia and Enea Bastianini on the satellite Ducati could still fantasise about the championship crown. However, their loss to the front was enough to force them to win while hoping for a bad day and form for both Bagnaiu and Quartararo.

A nerve-wracking first half of the race for Ducati

Pole position was snatched on Saturday with a stunning lap by Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martín. After the start, the Spaniard held on to the top spot. Behind him, however, Bagnaia made an incredible appearance starting from ninth on the grid.

Quartararo, after crashing in qualifying, also made a great start, moving into the top five at the end of the first lap and attacking the Honda of Marc Márquez. Espargaró, on the other hand, dropped a few positions, with Bastianini falling back to third behind Bagnaia after the first corner of the race.

The first three places were thus held by the motorcycles from Bologna. Martín built up a one-second lead, with Bagnaia and Bastianini close behind. Behind them, the duo of Márquez, Quartararo fought it out. The 2021 World Champion passed the eight-time champion on the inside into the final corner of lap five and immediately honked his horn towards the Ducati riders.

Quarataro desperately needed to finish on the podium if his rival Bagnaia was to win. However, on lap seven his job was made easier by Martín, who crashed in the fast left-hander at turn five. That put Bagnaia in the lead for good. But Bastianini clung to him like a tick and many times it looked like he would send his machine under his compatriot.

Lap 11 brought a major reversal. Bastianini raised the pulse of all the Ducati fans and staff when he passed Bagnaia into turn four. The World Championship leader wasn’t about to give up, but the overtaking manoeuvre didn’t bring Bastianini back for the time being.

Team direction? It didn’t look like it

Bastianini seemed to want to grab the win for himself. On the contrary, the large number of shots into the factory Ducati and Gresini garages suggested that those team officials were not so happy with the way the Grand Prix was going.

Quartararo held on to third place, but Marco Bezzecchi on the VR46 team’s Ducati was closing dangerously close on the Nice native’s back. If Bezzecchi passed Quartararo and Bagnai returned to the lead, the riders’ title would move into Bagnai’s hands. Both conditions had to work out for the Ducati squad at the same time in order for them to celebrate their first rider’s title in 15 years today, when Casey Stoner triumphed.

On lap 14, Bagnaia stamped on Bastianini on the charge into the final corner. The 25-year-old Turin native took care of the exit and regained the lead on the run-up to lap 15. First condition fulfilled, all eyes now turned towards Bezzecchi and his onslaught on Quartararo. Unfortunately for Ducati’s hopes of early celebrations, the time gap between the two riders began to widen early on lap 16.

Bastianini was not about to give up and attempted a manoeuvre down the outside of Bagnai through Turn 9 at the end of the Malaysian Grand Prix. However, the visibly faster Bastianini was careful not to make any unnecessary contact.

Bagnai eventually crossed the line first by 270 thousandths to record his seventh win of the season. Quartararo finished third, less than three seconds behind. His solid performance delayed Bagnai’s coronation until Valencia, where for the first time in five years the new champion will be finally decided.

At least the factory Ducati team could celebrate the team title in Malaysia. This is the second overall success for the Italian brand. The constructors’ title was already secured in Aragon. If Bagnaia scores at least two points in Valencia and becomes champion, Ducati can enjoy the so-called “triple crown” for the first time since its most successful season in 2007.

MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix results (Race 19/20, 20 laps = 110.860 km; top 10 only):

1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita., Ducati) 40::14.332

2. Enea Bastianini (Ita., Ducati) +0.270

3. Fabio Quartararo (Fra., Yamaha) +2.773

4. Marco Bezzecchi (Ita., Ducati) +5.446

5. Álex Rins (Span., Suzuki) +11.923

6. Jack Miller (Aus., Ducati) +13.472

7. Marc Márquez (Span., Honda) +14.304

8. Brad Binder (RJA, KTM) +16.805

9. Johann Zarco (Fra., Ducati) +18.358

10. Aleix Espargaró (Span., Aprilia) +21.591

Overall MotoGP rider standings for the 2022 season (after Race 19/20; top 10 only)::

1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita., Ducati) 258

2. Fabio Quartararo (Fra., Yamaha) 235

3. Aleix Espargaró (Sp., Aprilia) 212

4. Enea Bastianini (Ita., Ducati) 211

5. Jack Miller (Aus., Ducati) 189

6. Brad Binder (RJA, KTM) 168

7. Johann Zarco (Fra., Ducati) 166

8. Álex Rins (Sp., Suzuki) 148

9. Miguel Oliveira (Por., KTM) 138

10. Jorge Martín (Span., Ducati) 136

Source: MotoGP