Pecco becomes the first Ducati rider to win four on the spin as the victory battle goes to the wire between the Italians
The 2022 Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will be remembered for an epic victory battle between Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). The two Italians went head-to-head in the closing stages and were eventually split by just 0.034s on the line as Bagnaia becomes the first Ducati rider to win four races in a row – a phenomenal accolade. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) faded late on but held on to claim another hard-earned podium.
Bagnaia makes Ducati history after fending off 2023 teammate
It soon became a dramatic race of attrition as a couple of early frontrunners then crashed on Lap 2 – including race leader Miller. The Australian slipped out at Turn 4 and a few corners later at Turn 10, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was on the floor. Both riders were unhurt, both remounted. New race leader Bastianini then had a hairy moment at Turn 14 as the hottest weather of the weekend was making life tricky for the premier class.
It soon became a dramatic race of attrition as a couple of early frontrunners then crashed on Lap 2 – including race leader Miller. The Australian slipped out at Turn 4 and a few corners later at Turn 10, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was on the floor. Both riders were unhurt, both remounted. New race leader Bastianini then had a hairy moment at Turn 14 as the hottest weather of the weekend was making life tricky for the premier class.
On Lap 3, Bagnaia led for the first time and quickly following him through on Bastianini was Viñales. Further back, the top two in the World Championship – Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – were locked together in P5 and P6. They were 0.8s off the leading quartet that consisted of Bagnaia, Viñales, Bastianini and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team).
After passing Espargaro, Quartararo set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7 of 27 and immediately started hunting down the leaders. The Frenchman gapped Espargaro by 0.7s but it was then the Aprilia star who set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 9, with the top six – down to the number 41 – split by 2.2s….