MotoGP

Bastianini takes controversial Misano MotoGP win, Bagnaia crashes

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
3 min read

Enea Bastianini defeated Jorge Martin in MotoGP's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano in controversial circumstances, as Martin's title rival Pecco Bagnaia crashed out.

With no investigation looming over Bastianini's race-winning move, he is set to go down in the record books as the author of Ducati's 100th premier-class win - the Italian manufacturer joining Honda, Yamaha and MV Agusta in the triple-digit ranks.

But even second place is enough for Martin to extend his championship lead to a healthy 24 points given Bagnaia's exit.

Ducati has also secured the constructors' title for the fifth consecutive time, and with six rounds to spare.

Bagnaia's race hadn't gone to plan right away, with Martin getting the jump on him off the line just like he'd done in the sprint.

The start of MotoGP's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

This time, Bagnaia re-overtook him right away, via a better exit out of Turn 1 - but unlike in the sprint his early-race pace was distinctly unremarkable, inviting not just Martin but his team-mate Bastianini to fight back against him.

Martin soon attacked Bagnaia into the Rio corner, albeit ran too wide to keep the line, but on lap four a Quercia lunge secured a lead change.

A lap later, with Martin checking out, Bastianini eased past Bagnaia coming up to Tramonto - and in the laps that followed the two leaders put a fair bit of daylight between themselves and the reigning champion.

Bagnaia's race came alive, though, as the grand prix approached the halfway point and the Ducati man found a groove, suddenly logging three 1m30s - the only three 1m30s laps of the race from anyone - and going from nearly four seconds back of the lead fight to within two seconds.

But just as his charge stalled and then seemed to be gaining steam again, Bagnaia had a swift fall braking into Quercia, going into the gravel at speed - unhurt but with serious damage done to his title hopes.

Pecco Bagnaia after crashing out of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

It was a big boon for Martin's championship pursuit, effectively reversing his pitstop blunder from the San Marino Grand Prix from two weeks ago, but Martin still faced the daunting task of fending off Bastianini, a rider famous for late-race excellence.

And on the final lap Bastianini effectively moved him out of the way, sending a massive lunge down Martin's inside at Turn 4 and running Martin out of road.

Martin was immediately incensed as he trundled through the run-off, before returning to the track to finish five seconds behind Bastianini.

Gresini Ducati rider Marc Marquez didn't replicate his amazing start from Saturday's sprint, but fought through to best of the rest anyway, eventually finishing a lonely race in third place.

Marco Bezzecchi took fourth on perhaps his best showing of the season for VR46 Ducati, making the most of a soft rear tyre gamble - with the rest of the pack having all run the medium rear.

Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini battle during MotoGP's Emilia Romagna GP

A final-lap battle between former team-mates Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo for fifth ended up with the former in fifth and the latter also dropping behind Aprilia's Maverick Vinales, having run out of fuel coming out of the final corner.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Aprilia) completed the top 10, while Joan Mir was the lead Honda rider in 11th.

KTM came out of the race with zero constructors' points, as Brad Binder fell off early on while running fourth and Pedro Acosta followed suit shortly afterwards from the same place.

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