2022 Aragon MotoGP, MotorLand Circuit – Race Results

* Rookie

Enea Bastianini denied Francesco Bagnaia a fifth win in a row after a photo finish at the Aragon MotoGP, while the world championship battle was blown wide open by a dramatic opening lap accident for title leader Fabio Quartararo.

Quartararo was eliminated after hitting the back of Marc Marquez, who also tangled with Takaaki Nakagami a few turns later, leaving the Japanese on the ground.

Bagnaia, who had been 91 points behind Quartararo five races ago, is now just 10 points from Quartararo with Aleix Espargaro also back in the championship hunt after completing the podium for Aprilia.

Starting 13th, Marquez took a wide line into turn one and had passed seven riders – including Quartararo – after the opening corners of his comeback ride from arm surgery in June.

But disaster struck in the form of a rear-tyre slide for Marquez on the exit of turn 3, leaving Quartararo with nowhere to go but hard into the back of the Repsol Honda rider.

The impact launched the Frenchman over the front of his Yamaha, which appeared to hit him as he slid down the track, with Alex Rins forced to take evasive action. Quartararo walked away before undergoing medical checks.

But the drama wasn’t over for Marquez who was then slow out of Turn 7 and hit by fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami, leaving the Japanese on the ground while the riders behind scattered to avoid the carnage.

Marquez again remained upright, despite parts falling from his bike, and made it back to the pits to retire.

“It was really unlucky,” Marquez said. “In Turn 3 I had a moment, I just lost the rear and then Fabio was really close behind, like normal in the first lap. 

“After the contact, I felt something in Turn 5, but it was acceptable. Then into Turn 7 it was okay, but when I engaged the ride-height device on the exit something started to lock because of a broken piece of fairing and it made the bike turn to the side [into Nakagami].”

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Having converted pole into the early lead, Bagnaia was unaware of the drama behind until being informed of Quartararo’s exit via his pit board.

Initially under pressure from a fast-starting Brad Binder, Bagnaia then came under attack from future team-mate Enea Bastianini – forming a repeat of their Misano contest.

Bagnaia soaked up the pressure from his fellow Ducati rider but couldn’t shake off The Beast, who briefly took the lead. Talk of Ducati team orders was rubbished when Bastianini launched his GP21 inside Bagnaia at Turn 7 on the final lap, then held on for his fourth win of the season by 0.042s.

Binder brilliantly held the final podium place for KTM until being caught by Aleix Espargaro in the closing stages. The Aprilia rider finally squeezed past the South African into Turn 1 at the start of the penultimate lap.

Jack Miller and Jorge Martin completed the top six.

After missing Misano due to ankle injuries from Austria, Joan Mir briefly re-joined Alex Rins at Suzuki this weekend before being forced to abandon his return – and also withdraw from next weekend’s Motegi round – after struggling with ‘a severe lack of mobility and an increase in pain’ during free practice.

With Andrea Dovizioso hanging up his leathers after Misano, triple MotoGP race winner and current Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow is taking over the RNF seat for the final six rounds of this season. The Englishman crossed the line 14th.

LCR’s Alex Marquez was passed fit to start the race after suffering a nasty highside in warm-up.

All riders chose the hard front and medium rear tyres.

A minute’s silence for Queen Elizabeth II was held just before the race began.

MotoGP now heads straight to Japan for the start of the four ‘flyaway’ events, which have been absent from the calendar since 2019.

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