Since the beginning of the year he had expected a face to face between Bagnaia and Quartararo, he finally arrived in Jerez and it was worth the wait. Twenty-five laps, Pecco against Fabio, alone because no one was able to keep up with them. A continuous challenge, with the Ducati in front and the Yamaha behind, an exhausting tug of war, with the stopwatch acting as judge. Eight tenths of a second the maximum gap between the two, less than three those under the checkered flag that gave Bagnaia the victory. The first of the season, chased for a long time and now reality.
«At the beginning of the season I struggled but I never stopped working and this weekend everything went well – Bagnaia breathed a sigh of relief. I am very happy, we are back to exploit our potential and maybe even more. I have to thank all the people who helped me this week when I suffered from my shoulder problem. A big hug goes to my family and my girlfriend ».
Quartararo applauded the opponent: «It was very difficult, Pecco had a fantastic start and a fantastic race. We managed to keep a crazy pace, we didn’t overtake each other but it was very intense “
Behind them, the fight was for the third step of the podium. A fight with no holds barred, with Marc Marquez putting on a show between rescues and overtaking. The winner, however, was Aleix Espargaró, who once again brought Aprilia to the podium. With this result, the Noale manufacturer lost the concessions – the regulatory aid given to motorcycles in difficulty – placing itself among the big ones.
Marquez can be happy with his 4th place, obtained at Miller’s expense, while more was expected from Suzuki, 6th with Mir and even 19th with Rins, who slips from second place in the championship to fourth, with a ranking he now sees Quartararo in command with 89 points, 2nd Espargaró and then Bastianini. Just Enea did not shine in Jerez, with an 8th place (behind Nakagami’s Honda) won in extremis against Bezzecchi, in one of his best performances in his debut season.
Brad Binder’s Ktm closes the Top 10, ahead of Pol Espargaró, Oliveira, Alex Marquez, Viñales and Morbidelli, who managed to take home a point. What failed to Marini, Dovizioso and Di Giannantonio.