Bastianini mock Bagnaia but the World Cup is now reopened Quartararo falls and retires

Ducati wins the constructors ‘title but Dall’Igna doesn’t smile: “Happy for the performance but it was better to have 5 points more in the riders’ standings”

aragon (spain)

It all happens in two laps in the Aragon GP in the MotoGP class, a possible turning point in the World Championship when there are only five races left: the first is the fall, and consequent retirement, of Fabio Quartataro and the last one the winning overtaking of Enea Bastianini on Francesco Bagnaia, which seemed to be heading towards the fifth success in a row. The disappointment of the Ducati rider from Turin at the insult suffered by his next teammate is mitigated by the awareness that he now has the Yamaha champion within reach, only 10 points away, and that he has an almost unbeatable Desmosedici in his hands. The title race, however, remains theoretically open to Aleix Espargaro, who with today’s third place and third at -17 from Quartararo, and Bastianini himself can hope, fourth at -48. Starting from pole position, Bagnaia broke immediately in the lead, with the plan to stay there until the checkered flag but everything happened behind the leaders. As the group stretched out after the first corner, a discard by Marc Marquez’s Honda was an obstacle to Quartararo, who was unable to avoid it at full speed, falling to the ground. Fortunately, the Frenchman was not hit by other bikes and got up on his own. Marquez also stopped shortly after, with his bike damaged. The first lap was also fatal to the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami, who in turn ended up on the ground. Meanwhile, Bagnaia was leading the way, ahead of team mate Jack Miller and Bastianini. However, the young Ducati Gresini had decided not to be satisfied and already on lap eight he took the lead, but a subsequent “long” led him to rejoin Bagnaia until the last laps, when he got under way, as happened in the last race in Misano. This time, however, the rider from Rimini made the right overtaking on the last lap, taking his fourth win of the season. Behind Bagnaia, Espargaro managed to overtake Brad Binder, taking an excellent third place with Aprilia for an almost entirely Italian podium. «I managed to stay more attached to him than in Misano and when I saw that I had come out well from Turn-5 to go to Turn-6 I told myself to try. I went pretty firm and I won, ”explained Bastianini. “After the summer break I was able to find 100% confidence in the bike, now I have to try not to lose it between now and the end of the season,” he added. In the Ducati garage the final of the race was not welcomed with champagne, even if it was possible to celebrate the manufacturers’ title well in advance. «We are satisfied with the result but it was better to bring home 5 points more for the riders’ championship» underlined the managing director, Gigi Dall’Igna, however «happy with the performance of my riders and our bikes. We have five races to recover 10 points ». “I did everything possible, in the final I didn’t want to risk with Enea”, explained Bagnaia, recognizing Quartararo’s bad luck, that “if he hadn’t crashed he would have been fast in the race.” Japan. With the hope that the Rising Sun will greet the overtaking at the top. –

THE WORLD CLASSIFICATION

1. Fabio Quartararo 211 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia 201
3. Aleix Espargaro 194
4. Enea Bastianini 163
5. Jack Miller 134
6. Johann Zarco 133