Aleix Espargaro and Enea Bastianini are out of title contention despite the latter finishing second.
The Malaysian round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship saw factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia clinch his seventh victory of the season, making him the second Ducati rider after Casey Stoner to do so. As a result, he’s now stretched his title lead to 23 points over Fabio Quartararo, who finished third to take the title fight down to the finale in Valencia.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Gresini Ducati rider Enea Bastianini, with their 46 and 47 point deficit, respectively, are now firmly out of the title race.
- Bagnaia stretches title lead to 23 points
- Quartararo finishes third to keep title fight alive
Ducati dominance
While a mixed qualifying session saw Bagnaia start from ninth on the grid, the race was a whole different ball game for the Italian. A flawless start saw him cut through the pack to find himself in second place at Turn 2 of the first lap itself. Poleman Jorge Martin led the race in the initial stages before crashing out, handing Bagnaia the lead.
Bagnaia’s future teammate Bastianini overtook him around half race distance and the Ducati duo tussled for a fair few laps before Bagnaia took the lead, for good this time around.
Marini’s first DNF in MotoGP
While Luca Marini’s season hasn’t been as headline-grabbing as his teammate, MotoGP rookie and podium finisher, Marco Bezzecchi’s (who finished fourth this time around), Marini has, to his credit, always finished a MotoGP race, until now. An electronic glitch with his front start device ensured it remained locked in place and didn’t disengage, forcing Valentino Rossi’s half-brother to retire.
Victorious last time around in Australia, Suzuki’s Alex Rins finished fifth, after qualifying in the same position as well. The other rider who was on the podium last time around but was unable to replicate that in the end result here was Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez, who ultimately crossed the chequered flag in seventh place.
2022 MotoGP championship standings
With Bagnaia’s 23-point advantage ensuring he is firmly in lead of the title race, it will all come down to a last-round showdown at Valencia on November 6. To retain his title Quartararo will need to win, while Bagnaia finishes 14th or below. For Bagnaia to become Ducati’s first World Champion in 15 years, after Casey Stoner, all he needs to do is finish 13th or higher.
2022 Malaysian MotoGP results
| 2022 Malaysian MotoGP results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Rider | Team |
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo |
| 2 | Enea Bastianini | Gresini Ducati |
| 3 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Yamaha |
| 4 | Marco Bezzecchi | VR46 Ducati |
| 5 | Alex Rins | Suzuki |
| 6 | Jack Miller | Ducati Lenovo |
| 7 | Marc Marquez | Repsol Honda |
| 8 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM |
| 9 | Johann Zarco | Pramac Ducati |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia Racing |
| 11 | Franco Morbidelli | Monster Yamaha |
| 12 | Cal Crutchlow | WithU Yamaha |
| 13 | Miguel Oliveira | Red Bull KTM |
| 14 | Pol Espargaro | Repsol Honda |
| 15 | Raul Fernandez | Tech3 KTM |
| 16 | Maverick Vinales | Aprilia Racing |
| 17 | Alex Marquez | LCR Honda |
| 18 | Remy Gardner | Tech3 KTM |
| 19 | Joan Mir | Suzuki |
| NC | Darryn Binder | WithU Yamaha |
| NC | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Gresini Ducati |
| NC | Jorge Martin | Pramac Ducati |
| NC | Tetsuta Nagashima | LCR Honda Idemitsu |
| NC | Luca Marini | VR46 Ducati |
