MotoGP | GP Malaysia Race: Bagnaia, seventh victory, closer to the World Championship

MotoGP GP Malaysia Sepang Race – Pecco Bagnaia won the Malaysian Grand Prix MotoGP class, 19th and penultimate stage of the 2022 MotoGP, held at the SIC, Sepang International Circuit.

The Ducati rider who started from the third row was the author of a sensational start, which allowed him to immediately grab second position, which then became first after pole man Jorge Martin's fall on the sixth lap.

Bagnaia (seventh victory of the season) had to hold off a great Enea Bastianini, who on the Ducati Gresini had also taken the lead of the race, then regained it (by team orders given the “Bagnaia” sign on the #23 board ?) from the Piedmontese, who will arrive in Valencia with a 23 point advantage over a stoic Fabio Quartararo.

“El Diablo” ran a great race, recovering from 12th to third position, the only non-Ducati bike in the top four positions, as “Rookie of The Year” Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) came fourth at the finish line.

Fifth at the finish line was Phillip Island winner Alex Rins, who on the Suzuki preceded the official Ducati of Jack Miller and Marc Marquez who was seventh and never in contention for the podium.

Also in the Top Ten are Brad Binder's KTM, Johann Zarco's Ducati Pramac and Aleix Espargarò's Aprilia, now out of the fight for the riders' title.

Difficult race for Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) who, in addition to the two long-lap penalties served for slowing down Bagnaia and Marquez in practice, was penalized three positions for irresponsible driving towards Aleix Espargarò, finishing 11th.

Also scoring points were Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha WithU), Miguel Oliveira (KTM), Pol Espargarò (Honda Repsol) and Raul Fernandez (KTM Tech 3).

A race to forget for Luca Marini who had a problem with the lowering of his Ducati and who immediately retired.

The World Championship now sees Bagnaia in the lead with 258 points, 23 ahead of Quartararo. Enea Bastianini and Aleix Espargarò are tied in third place, 47 points behind.

Rookie MotoGP RACE GP Malaysia

The best rookie was Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati Mooney VR46 Racing Team) fourth, followed by Raul Fernandez (KTM Team Tech 3) 15th with Remy Gardner (KTM Team Tech 3 and from next year in Yamaha Superbike) 18th. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati Gresini) and Darryn Binder (Yamaha WithU RNF) retired.