Bagnaia fends off Quartararo in Jerez, Márquez denied 100th podium
A fine ride by Francesco Bagnaia ensured there was little drama at the front of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Spain, but Marc Márquez thrilled.
Francesco Bagnaia converted pole position at the Grand Prix of Spain for his first victory of 2022 ahead of MotoGP defending champion and season leader Fabio Quartararo. After finishing the previous campaign with four wins in six races – his first victories in the top category, Bagnaia had endured a slow start this year, failing to even reach the podium prior to this weekend. But a record lap in qualifying put the Ducati man on pole in Jerez, and he led from start to finish to kickstart his season.
Quartararo, starting in second, was Bagnaia’s closest challenger, making a strong start and applying intense pressure for the first half of the race. But Bagnaia was then able to open up a gap and enjoy a slightly more comfortable ride for his first win at this event, and fifth podium in his past seven entries across all categories. The French rider could at least be comforted by his now seven-point lead in the championship on a tough day for Alex Rins, who had been level at the summit but had to settle for 19th. With Aleix Espargaro, now Quartararo’s nearest challenger, completing the podium, the top three ended as they began, although the battle for third was a thriller.
Márquez misses out on century
Both Jack Miller and Marc Márquez, chasing his 100th MotoGP podium, got the jump on Espargaro early on, seemingly setting up a direct battle between the pair. The Spaniard eventually got past Miller with five laps remaining following a stunning move at Turn 5, which he made stick despite the pace of the Ducati. But that manoeuvre opened the door for Espargaro, running in fifth, to come back at them, and he profited when Márquez went wide at Turn 13 and required an incredible save to stay on his bike, catching himself with his left elbow. Espargaro was able to build a bigger gap, although Márquez at least passed Miller again for fourth, delivering the drama that was missing at the front of the race.
Top 10
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo)
2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.285secs
3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) +10.977s
4. Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) +12.676s
5. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo) +12.957s
6. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) +13.934s
7. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) +14.929s
8. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) +18.436s
9. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing) +18.830s
10. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) +20.056s
Championship standings
Riders
1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) 89
2. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) 82
3. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) 69
4. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) 69
5. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) 56
Teams
1. Suzuki Ecstar 125
2. Aprilia Racing 109
3. Monster Energy Yamaha 107
4. Ducati Lenovo 98
5. Red Bull KTM 91