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Fabio Quartararo is the new MotoGP world champion. The French rider made a formidable comeback to fourth position, but what has certified the title is the crash of Pecco Bagnaia in the final laps, when he was leading the race with considerable authority. Quartararo is the first French champion of the premier category.
The victory was for an excellent Marc Márquez, who did not stop putting pressure on Pecco Bagnaia despite being slower than him and takes the prize of victory. In addition, Pol Espargaró finished second, thus completing Honda's first MotoGP one-two since 2017. Enea Bastianini repeats on the podium.
Enea Bastianini gets back on the podium overtaking a Quartararo who was already champion
At the exit Jack Miller outperformed Pecco Bagnaia, but loosened up before braking for the Italian to pass by. Marc Márquez was third after overtaking Miguel Oliveira, while Fabio Quartararo had lost even more positions: he finished seventeenth, although he climbed to fourteenth before finishing the first row.
Error of Joan Mir, who skipped the start and had to comply with a 'Long Lap Penalty'. But before even fulfilling it he went long in a curve and went to the ground with Danilo Petrucci. In the lead Bagnaia was still leading with Miller guarding Márquez's back. Quartararo was still rolling twelfth.
But then came the error of Miller, who went to the ground when Márquez was pressuring him. Bagnaia was left without a squire and Pol Espargaró was placed on the podium, although Oliveira and Franco Morbidelli held very close to him. Quartararo was stuck in eleventh position.
Márquez was very close to Bagnaia, although each had its most favorable sections. Quartararo was going up little by little until he was already ninth, and very close to Álex Rins. Takaaki Nakagami and Iker Lecuona crash and mechanical problems for Álex Márquez. The track was delicate.
The next to test the asphalt was Jorge Martín, while Quartararo already reached a group in which they were up to the fifth classified. Rins, Luca Marini, Morbidelli, and Áleix Espargaró, the string of pilot who were waiting for Quartararo. Many points at stake considering that Bagnaia was leading, although Márquez was still stuck.
Rins and Quartararo were the fastest of that group, surpassing Morbidelli and Marini with some solvency. In the battle for the podium Espargaró was beginning to open a gap with Oliveira, facing what could be his first drawer as a Honda pilot. And Valentino Rossi was already shooting in the points zone on his farewell to Italy.
Quartararo finally managed to get rid of Rins and Espargaró, not without getting a scare along the way. He was fifth, but eight seconds behind Oliveira, so it seemed that his position was that. Márquez was still very close to Bagnaia despite the fact that the Italian insisted on changing the rhythm to take him down.
Little by little gaps were opening. Bagnaia was escaping from Márquez, Pol Espargaró was doing the same with Oliveira and Quartararo was leaving Rins behind. The only one still not giving up was Marc Márquez, who was forcing himself to chase the Ducati, but was clearly seen going off the hook.
'Long Lap Penalty' for Andrea Dovizioso for exceeding the track limits, although he was running last. And then came the big hit of the race and the World Cup: Pecco Bagnaia fell and Fabio Quartararo was mathematically MotoGP world champion. Incredible outcome of the Grand Prix.
Victory for Marc Márquez, the second in a row and the third of the season, ahead of Pol Espargaró. Honda's first one-two in a MotoGP race since 2017. Enea Bastianini completes the podium thanks to a formidable overtaking on Fabio Quartarao on the last lap. Valentino Rossi says goodbye to Misano tenth.
