Quartararo’s lead has been slashed to just 10 points following his crash with the returning Marc Marquez.
Enea Bastianini passed Francesco Bagnaia on the very last lap to win the Aragon GP, but that was far from the only talking point in a race that could prove to be a pivotal turning point in the 2022 MotoGP championship.
Fabio Quartararo crashed out on the opening lap itself after contact with Marc Marquez, who made his racing return after nearly four months. As a result, the Yamaha rider’s championship lead has been slashed to just 10 points.
- Bastianini wins, 0.042 sec from Bagnaia
- Quartararo out after crash with Marquez
- Aleix Espargaro on podium
Quartararo and Marquez collide
All eyes were on Marquez as he made his MotoGP comeback following a fourth surgery on his right arm, but the Spaniard retired at the end of Lap 1 after being involved in two separate collisions.
As Bagnaia led from pole position, Marquez made a rapid start from 13th on the grid. He was already up to sixth place when he caught a rear slide exiting Turn 3 and closed the throttle. This caught Quartararo unawares, and he rammed into Marquez’s bike.
The Yamaha rider was out of the race on the spot, and while Marquez was able to continue, his Honda RC213V sustained damage. Just a few corners later, he made contact with Takaaki Nakagami, sending the LCR Honda rider sliding across the track. Marquez himself pulled into the pits to retire at the end of the opening lap.
Bastianini defeats Bagnaia
Out at front, Ducati’s future rider pairing battled it out for victory. Bastianini passed Bagnaia at Turn 1 on Lap 9, but outbraked himself on the next lap, handing the lead back to Bagnaia.
Bastianini started applying pressure in the closing laps, and on the very last lap, he pulled off a move at the tight Turn 7. He ended up winning the race just 0.042 secs, denying Bagnaia a fifth straight victory.
Aleix Espargaro landed the final spot on the podium after passing Brad Binder, while Jack Miller finished fifth. Jorge Martin emerged on top of his battle with fellow Ducati rider Luca Marini to take sixth place. Johann Zarco, Alex Rins and Marco Bezzecchi completed the top 10.
Ducati win constructors’ championship
With just five rounds to go, the drivers’ championship battle has truly heated up. Bagnaia’s recent form has seen him steadily chip away at Quartararo’s lead, and with the French rider unable to score any points at the Aragon GP, there are just 10 points separating him and Bagnaia.
On the other hand, the constructors’ championship has already been wrapped up with Ducati taking home the title for the third year in a row.
Also see:
2022 San Marino MotoGP: Bagnaia prevails despite three-place grid penalty
