Bagnaia takes home win as Marquez makes last start before surgery

Having started fifth on the grid, Bagnaia dropped to ninth on the opening lap, but rebounded to take the lead on the ninth tour and pull away by over a second to score his second win of the 2022 campaign.

Shock poleman Fabio Di Giannantonio took the holeshot on his year-old Gresini Ducati from VR46 duo Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi.

Di Giannantonio was quickly pushed out of the lead, first by Marini at Turn 4 on the opening lap and then Bezzecchi at Turn 11.

Bezzecchi then powered past his GP22-mounted team-mate Marini on the main straight to take the lead at the start of lap two on his 2021-spec Ducati.

For the next eight laps Bezzecchi would run at the front of the pack, while Bagnaia and reigning world champion Quartararo cleverly worked his way towards the podium places on his underpowered Yamaha.

Unable to make any moves on the main straight on his M1, Quartararo carved past the likes of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, Di Giannantonio and Marini at Turn 4, Turn 11 and Turn 6 from laps two to four.

Up to second and defending from a retaliation by Marini into Turn 1 at the start of lap five, Quartararo wouldn’t be able to put his Yamaha into the lead as Bagnaia powered past into Turn 1 on lap six.

The factory Ducati rider proceeded to cut down Bezzecchi’s advantage at the head of the pack and made his decisive move into Turn 1 on lap nine.

Bagnaia quickly put a second between himself and the group behind, which would be led by Quartararo after he defended third again from Marini on lap nine before passing Bezzecchi at Turn 10 on the 11th tour.

Quartararo put daylight between himself and the warring VR46 Ducatis as Aleix Espargaro started to put himself into podium contention in the second half of the 23-lap race.

Though Quartararo would pull a few tenths back on Bagnaia through the twisty sections of the circuit, the power deficit of the Yamaha stopped him from making…