Title-flavoured victory

Pecco Bagnaia came very close to claiming the wing at the Sepang circuit after scoring his seventh win of the season. He did everything in his power to get it, however, Fabio Quartararo’s podium allows the Frenchman to keep the flame of the title alive. The one who has been left out of the equation in the absence of a grand prix is ​​Aleix Espargaró, who left in Malaysia his already few championship options with which he started.

After a crazy Saturday where the three applicants had crashed in practice and started far behind on the grid, in just one lap the race was ordered, placing the favorites ahead. Bagnaia, who started ninth, made a memorable start, “the best of the season”, in the words of the Italian, and was in second position. Quartararo was not far behind, who gained the same positions after the traffic light went out. He went from twelfth on the grid to fifth in just one lap. The only one of the applicants who did not gain positions at the start was Aleix, planted in tenth position, who from the beginning was going to verify that this would not be his war.

The situation seemed scripted for Ducati, with three of its riders leading the race. During the first laps, poleman Jorge Martín was in charge, trying to circumvent the team’s orders with an incomplete breakaway since he crashed on lap six. At that moment Bagnaia inherited the first position and took out the calculator. The Italian needed to win and that his rival was not on the podium to sentence the championship. However, Quartararo was already third by then, after overtaking a lazy Márquez, who was losing positions as the race progressed despite a great start on his part.

The race progressed at the pace set by a Bagnaia who seemed to have everything under control, leading his brand mate (not team mate) Enea Bastianini, and with a margin of two seconds over Quartararo. Nobody expected Bastianini’s attack, but it came on lap 11. Without hesitation, he passed his compatriot and took the lead. During the time he was leading the race, the desperation of the Ducati bigwigs became evident and they milled around the box in disbelief at what they were seeing. From doors to the outside, the message that the Italian brand had given was that its pilots could fight for victory in freedom. But the nervousness that was appreciated in the Ducati garage made it clear that the message behind closed doors was another and someone was not complying with the team’s orders.

This act of rebellion by Bastianini lasted three laps, and to make matters worse, he will land next year in the official Ducati team as Bagnaia’s teammate. With nine laps to go, the leader of the championship gave him back the overtaking and tamed “the Beast” (nickname by which Bastianini is known), who from that moment remained at the wheel of his compatriot, without attacking, but so close that it seemed to show that he had something more. The blood did not reach the river and Ducati added a new double this season, with which they caress, this time, a title that has resisted them since 2007. From behind, and despite the fact that at times it seemed that another Italian from Ducati, Marco Bezzecchi could have hunted down Quartararo, the Frenchman did not give up third position at any time and with the podium he prevented Bagnaia from being crowned at the Sepang circuit.

The title accounts

In two weeks Bagnaia will face the last Grand Prix of the year at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia with a 23-point advantage over Quartararo. It is enough for the Italian to add two points to be champion. Or what is the same, finish the race 14th. The most difficult still for the Frenchman, who only has to win the race and wait for the puncture of his rival.

The best Spaniard on Sunday was Álex Rins, who crossed the finish line fifth, while Marc Márquez showed this time that he had not fooled anyone. The one from Cervera had ensured on Saturday that he would finish the race between seventh and eighth, and so it was. A seventh that left a bad taste in his mouth due to the wide difference of 14 seconds with respect to the head of the race. Too much margin to recover for 2023. And finally Aleix Espargaró did not get past tenth position in Malaysia. End of the party for the Catalan rider who has even had a hard time finishing third in the standings. Only one point separates him from Bastianini and his place on the championship podium will be at stake in Valencia.