After an action-packed race at MotoGP's Grand Prix of the Americas it was Alex Rins emerging with a drought-breaking victory for LCR Honda.
Rins, who qualified second and finished second in Saturday's sprint race around the Circuit of the Americas, was the beneficiary after pole-winner Francesco Bagnaia crashed out for the second race in a row, this time while leading with 13 laps remaining.
Bagnaia, who could have taken over as the championship leader if he went all the way, was one of nine riders to not complete the race.
Alex Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Jorge Martin all went down on the first lap, before Jack Miller went down with 14 laps to go while in a podium position, and he was followed with an early finish by Raul Fernandez (14 to go), Bagnaia (13), Joan Mir (12), Takaaki Nakagami (nine) and Stefan Bradl (two).
The carnage left Rins as the leader for the final 12 laps, and he held his nerve the rest of the way, coming home to deliver LCR Honda's first race victory since Argentina back in 2018. It is the Spaniard's fifth MotoGP win, and his first since switching teams after spending the past six seasons with Team Suzuki Ecstar.
It was also the first win for a Honda bike in 539 days in what has been a dominant stretch by the Ducatis, as no Honda rider finished better than Marc Marquez's 13th in the 2022 season standings.
With the result, Rins catapulted himself up to third in the standings after a 34-point week in Texas, while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi extended his gap at the top to 11 points with his safe sixth-place outcome.
Grid Classification
1. Alex Rins (Honda) 41:14.649
2. Luca Marini (Ducati) +3.498 seconds
3. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +4.936
4. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +8.318
5. Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia) +9.989
6. Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) +12.049
7. Johann Zarco (Ducati) +12.242
8. Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) +20.399
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) +27.981
10. Augusto Fernandez (KTM) +28.217
Championship Standings
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 64
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 53
3. Alex Rins (LCR Honda) 47
4. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 45
5. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 44
Teams
1. Mooney VR46 102
2. Pramac Racing 73
3. Aprilia 63
4. Yamaha 63
5. Ducati 58
Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia labeled Saturday's display as one of his best in MotoGP after setting a new lap record in qualifying and winning the Grand Prix of the Americas Sprint.
Ducati's Bagnaia claimed pole for Sunday's race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin with a new course lap record, edging Honda's Alex Lins by 0.160 seconds.
Bagnaia backed that up with the maximum 12 points from the Sprint where he won by 2.545 seconds from Lins, moving within one point of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi in the early season standings.
"It was one of the best days I ever had in MotoGP considering the performance we had during the whole day," Bagnaia said.
"My feeling with the bike is growing and in this track, for the first time I’m feeling great. This morning with used tyres I was feeling okay, so already I understood where to improve.
"But today for the race it was very difficult because the conditions were very hot and it was difficult to stop the bike.
"I was having a lot of locking and sincerely, it was a bit of a problem at the start of the race. But then I was used to it. Tomorrow will be a different story."
Bagnaia's impressive Saturday came after a disappointing performance in Argentina where he finished sixth in the Sprint and down in 16th in the Grand Prix.
"I started well, and tried to push, do my pace, to build up a gap," Bagnaia said. "Now I've got to focus on tomorrow, that's going to be harder."
Bezzecchi, who finished sixth in the COTA Sprint, will start the Grand Prix from fifth on the grid. Lins, who will start from second, was hopeful of an improvement on his Honda on Sunday.
"Let's see, for sure. We have a good bike," Lins said. "The electronic side was not working at 100 per cent, so let's see if tomorrow it works like this.
"The race today was a little fast, so we need to take a little bit more care of the tyres to arrive with a better performance in the end of the race."
Bagnaia smashed the COTA lap record with a flying final effort of 2.01.892, which was the first-ever sub 2.02.00 lap at the course.
That time came after Bagnaia had attempted to shake off Alex Marquez in his outlap after both recorded identical times.
But Marquez crashed on his final attempt, with Bagnaia released to record his 12th MotoGP pole in style. Gresini's Marquez will start from fourth, with Moorey VR46's Luca Marini in third.
Francesco Bagnaia made it a pole position and sprint race double as Ducati's reigning world champion set the standard ahead of Sunday's MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas.
The 26-year-old Italian crashed at the Argentine Grand Prix last time out in wet conditions but rebounded strongly in Austin with a reminder of the form that brought him last year's title.
He was thoroughly dominant in the sprint, pocketing the 12 points on offer to the winner and moving just one point behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi in the early season standings.
Honda's Alex Rins took nine points with second place, some 2.545 seconds behind the winner, while third went to Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin who rocketed through the field from 12th on the grid, with Aleix Espargaro taking fourth for Aprilia.
Espargaro had been running second at one stage, while Fabio Quartararo was also showing lively pace before crashing at the first corner with six laps remaining.
Brad Binder took fifth in the sprint, with Bezzecchi sixth as he conceded ground to Bagnaia in the championship, having been nine points ahead heading into this weekend after his maiden race win in Argentina.
Pole position earlier went to Bagnaia in a lap record of two minutes and 1.892 seconds, with Rins an impressive second, ahead of the Mooney VR46 of Luca Marini.
Marini's team-mate Bezzecchi could only take fifth on the grid, with Alex Marquez (Gresini) fourth and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) in sixth spot.
Grid classification
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 2:01.892
2. Alex Rins (Honda) +0.160 seconds
3. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) +0.289
4. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +0.350
5. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) +0.376
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.647
7. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.857
8. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +0.990
9. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +1.170
10. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +1.192
Championship Standings
Riders
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 54
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 53
3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 35
4. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 33
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 32
Teams
1. Mooney VR46 72
2. Pramac Racing 64
3. Ducati 53
4. Red Bull KTM 53
4. Aprilia 50
Marco Bezzecchi secured his first MotoGP win with a stellar ride in a wet Argentine Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo.
Runner-up in Saturday's Sprint, Bezzecchi took the lead on the opening lap and led throughout, finishing ahead of Johann Zarco in second and Alex Marquez, who started on pole, in third.
Bezzecchi's victory sends him to the summit of the 2023 MotoGP standings, with previous leader and defending champion Francesco Bagnaia crashing out soon after rising to second ahead of Marquez.
Franco Morbidelli looked set for a podium finish before Zarco's thrilling late charge through the field relegated him to fourth, while Marquez celebrated his first podium since his rookie season in 2020.
Brad Binder, winner of Saturday's Sprint, crashed at turn five on the opening lap, while Fabio Quartararo was another to endure a difficult start after being pushed off by Takaaki Nakagami.
Bezzecchi was in a class of his own in the lead, opening up an advantage of over seven seconds after Bagnaia, then running second, crashed out on lap 17.
Quartararo then began to rise through the field but the most impressive late charge came from Zarco, a second quicker than his competitors as he pushed his way to a podium spot.
His work was done on the final lap, overtaking Marquez, but there was no competition for Bezzechi, who cruised to victory to finish over four seconds ahead of his nearest rivals.
Top 10
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 44:28:518
2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +4.085
3. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +4.681
4. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) +7.581
5. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +9.746
6. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +10.562
7. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +11.095
8. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) +13.694
9. Alex Rins (LCR Honda) +14.327
10. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini) +18.515
Championship Standings
Riders
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 50
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 41
3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 35
4. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 33
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 32
Teams
1. Mooney VR46 65
2. Pramac Racing 57
3. Red Bull KTM 47
4. Aprilia 44
5. Ducati 41
Marco Bezzechi secured his first MotoGP win with a stellar ride in a wet Argentine Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo.
Runner-up in Saturday's Sprint, Bezzechi took the lead on the opening lap and led throughout, finishing ahead of Johann Zarco in second and Alex Marquez, who started on pole, in third.
Bezzechi's victory sends him to the summit of the 2023 MotoGP standings, with previous leader and defending champion Francesco Bagnaia crashing out soon after rising to second ahead of Marquez.
Franco Morbidelli looked set for a podium finish before Zarco's thrilling late charge through the field relegated him to fourth, while Marquez celebrated his first podium since his rookie season in 2020.
Brad Binder, winner of Saturday's Sprint, crashed at turn five on the opening lap, while Fabio Quartararo was another to endure a difficult start after being pushed off by Takaaki Nakagami.
Bezzechi was in a class of his own in the lead, opening up an advantage of over seven seconds after Bagnaia, then running second, crashed out on lap 17.
Quartararo then began to rise through the field but the most impressive late charge came from Zarco, a second quicker than his competitors as he pushed his way to a podium spot.
His work was done on the final lap, overtaking Marquez, but there was no competition for Bezzechi, who cruised to victory to finish over four seconds ahead of his nearest rivals.
Top 10
1. Marco Bezzechi (Mooney VR46) 44:28:518
2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +4.085
3. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +4.681
4. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) +7.581
5. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +9.746
6. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +10.562
7. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +11.095
8. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) +13.694
9. Alex Rins (LCR Honda) +14.327
10. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini) +18.515
Championship Standings
Riders
1. Marco Bezzechi (Mooney VR46) 50
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 41
3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 35
4. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 33
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 32
Teams
1. Mooney VR46 65
2. Pramac Racing 57
3. Red Bull KTM 47
4. Aprilia 44
5. Ducati 41
Francesco Bagnaia praised his new Ducati bike, saying it suits his riding style as he clinched victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday.
On the first race weekend of the new MotoGP season, Bagnaia won the inaugural sprint race on Saturday, before also taking first place a day later.
The defending world champion finished ahead of Maverick Vinales and fellow Italian Marco Bezzecchi, and expressed his delight with his new bike at the post-race press conference.
"We worked so well on the tests that everything was prepared for the race, we were so on the limit," he said. "Compare that to two years ago and last year, the race time was so much faster.
"It was quite tough, the tyres were working so perfectly... I'm happy, everything went perfectly. This new bike suits very well my riding style, better than the old one, so we are fighting in a good direction."
Bezzecchi was surprised with his third-place finish to begin his second season after being the best rookie in MotoGP last year with 111 points, more than the other four rookie riders combined (Fabio Di Giannantonio: 24; Raul Fernandez: 14; Remy Gardner: 13 and Darryn Binder: 12).
"I am very happy. It's always nice to have some good results," the 24-year-old said. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting this because it's a track where I've never been so fast in Moto2 or in the previous year. Also, last year I was very slow, but this year I made a step and I'm very happy.
"The race was fantastic. I was able to escape the group behind me, and I was trying to catch Maverick but he was a little bit faster than me, especially at the end. But this gave me the possibility to escape, to have a good gap, and finally to get this podium."
Spaniard Vinales held on for second place, and is optimistic of competing at the front again in next week's Argentinian Grand Prix.
"I've been quite fast in Argentina for all the years," he said. "I don't know, I don't want to put anything on my head. I will go there, do the job, take out the maximum of the bike and then we will see.
"What I am sure of is that if we can get the maximum from the weekend, we will be fighting at the front."
Francesco Bagnaia made it a perfect start to the MotoGP season by winning the Portuguese Grand Prix after Marc Marquez crashed out.
Bagnaia was victorious in the inaugural MotoGP sprint race on Saturday and the reigning champion crossed the line first again in Portimao a day later.
The Ducati rider started in second place behind Marquez, but the Spaniard's race came to an early end when he lost control and collided with Miguel Oliveira.
Oliveira had taken an early lead after starting in fourth place on home soil, but Marquez's mistake left him heading for the medical tent for a check-up after he was sent flying off his bike at Turn 3.
It was subsequently confirmed six-time world champion Marquez had suffered a fractured first metacarpal bone in his right hand.
Italian Bagnaia took over at the front on lap two following moves on Oliveira and Jorge Martin, then went on to complete a double ahead of Maverick Vinales.
Marco Bezzecchi joined his compatriot Bagnaia on the podium by taking third place, with Johann Zarco nipping in to take fourth in the closing stages ahead of Alex Marquez.
Martin crashed out with five laps to go at Turn 2 as Bagnaia took command and made it a dream start to the defence of his title.
Francesco Bagnaia triumphed in MotoGP's first sprint race after Marc Marquez snatched pole position for Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix.
Reigning series champion Bagnaia fended off Jorge Martin in the half-distance sprint, winning by 0.307 seconds, with Marquez taking third position and Jack Miller fourth.
That race came after Marquez rolled back the years by roaring to pole for the sprint and Sunday's main event at the season-opening race weekend.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez endured a miserable 2022 season and only achieved one podium, but he reasserted himself as a threat for the new campaign with a dazzling lap record.
He pipped Bagnaia to pole, with Martin starting third on the grid.
It was just Marquez's second pole since his 2019 championship-winning season, with his show-stealing lap coming late on in Q2 after Bagnaia had looked set to bag first position on the grid.
Spaniard Marquez, who turned 30 last month, surprised himself with his qualifying pace.
He said afterwards: "I don't know, I cannot explain because I don't understand, honestly speaking. I don't understand the situation.
"Yesterday we were struggling a lot and today it's true that I started to ride in a better way, I improved myself and the guys yesterday did an incredible job and improved some small details.
"Today in FP3 I already felt good and smooth to ride. I was alone and was consistent."
Marquez senses real limitations with his Repsol Honda RC213V, but he found a way to bypass those in qualifying.
Quoted on motorsport.com, Marquez said: "It's true that to do a very quick lap with the Honda, we need a slipstream. It's not the best way, it's not the most polite way to do a lap time. But it's one of my strongest points.
"So, if the strong point is there, I need to take profit of that. It's not easy to follow a guy, but at the moment it's the only way."
That factor meant Marquez was not likely to be a front-runner in the sprint itself, but third place represented a strong outcome all the same.
Bagnaia's Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini crashed during the sprint and suffered a right scapula fracture, meaning he was taken to hospital in Portimao.
GRID CLASSIFICATION
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 1 minute 37.226 seconds
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) + 0.064 secs
3. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.228s
4. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) + 0.295
5. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +0.323
6. Enea Bastianini (Ducati) + 0.358
7. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) + 0.372
8. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) + 0.390
9. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) + 0.396
10. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.654
SPRINT RESULT
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 19:52.862
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +0.307
3. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +1.517
4. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +1.603
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +1.854
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +2.106
7. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) +2.940
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +5.595
9. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +5.711
10. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +5.924
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 12 points
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 9
3. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 7
4. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) 6
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 5
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) 4
7. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) 3
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 2
9. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 1
Francesco Bagnaia confirmed he will be the first MotoGP champion in a decade to take the number one for the forthcoming season.
The 26-year-old will defend his crown in the 2023 season and becomes the first rider since Casey Stoner in 2012 to adorn the number on the front of his bike.
Rules allow for a defending champion to use the number, but it has largely been overlooked, with only four riders in MotoGP history taking up the honour.
Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo both elected not to take the number after their successes in the past two years, but the Ducati Lenovo Team star announced his plans to buck the trend.
"I decided to have both there and the 63 is still on my helmet. But it's been a long time since we last saw the number one in MotoGP," he said at the Campioni in Pista event.
"I've always admired people racing with the number one. I've always loved it. Respecting the fact that you are world champion is right.
"Number one represents who you are, it represents your identity as world champion. So, it's important for me to pay tribute to other world champions.
"Sixty-three will always be my number, I'll always have this number on my bike, but hopefully together with the number one."
The new MotoGP season begins on March 26 in Portugal, with pre-season testing to begin in Singapore next month.
Francesco Bagnaia broke down in tears after withstanding an issue with his Ducati to become MotoGP world champion on Sunday, ending a 50-year wait for an Italian to win the title on an Italian bike.
Bagnaia needed only two points at the Valencia Grand Prix to hold off 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo and clinch his first championship.
But the 25-year-old has done things the hard way this year, recovering from a slow start to surge to the top of the standings, and the season-ending race was far from straightforward.
Although Bagnaia enjoyed a strong start to the race to keep the pressure up on Quartararo – who needed to win even if his rival failed to finish – contact between the pair saw the championship leader lose part of his right wing.
It was a struggle then for the former Moto2 champion to get to the finish in one piece, meaning he was in an emotional state after crossing the line in ninth and sealing the title.
"It was the worst race of the year, for sure, maybe of my life, because I was there, fighting with my bike," Bagnaia told BT Sport.
"At the start, everything went well, everything was okay. But after losing my wing, I started struggling a lot – a lot, a lot, a lot. It was very difficult to manage everything.
"I just tried to arrive in the last laps with a bit of calm. Finally, when I saw on the pit board I was world champion, I started to cry a lot. It's something incredible."
Valentino Rossi had been the last Italian MotoGP champion in 2009, while Casey Stoner was the last man to triumph with Ducati in 2007.
Not since Giacomo Agostini took the title with MV Agusta in 1972 had an Italian won on an Italian bike.
"To be world champion is the main thing for every rider in MotoGP," Bagnaia added. "To be world champion with Ducati as an Italian is something unbelievable.
"I'm very happy. It's difficult to share with you my happiness in this moment. I'm very emotional, so it's difficult to say what I really want to say."
Francesco Bagnaia dethroned Fabio Quartararo as MotoGP champion by holding his nerve at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix, where Alex Rins won on Sunday.
Bagnaia needed only two points – a 14th-placed finish – to become the first Ducati champion in 15 years; even had he fallen short of that modest target, Quartararo would have needed to win the race.
The 2021 victor vowed to be "aggressive but intelligent" after qualifying in fourth, and was good to his word.
But Bagnaia, starting from eighth, did enough early on to ensure a race win was out of Quartararo's reach, then settling in for a careful ride that sought to ensure there would be no late crash to alter the outcome.
Rins dashed away to victory ahead of Brad Binder as Suzuki bowed out of the series in style, but the focus was further back in the field at the end of the longest ever MotoGP season.
Bagnaia passed Quartararo into Turn 1, only for the Frenchman to quickly recover and then attack Jack Miller, moving back into fourth.
Despite five retirements in 2022, the season leader was not going away quietly, and he battled back before contact between the two title rivals robbed him of his right wing.
Quartararo came out on top in that tussle, but the distraction allowed the race leaders to build a significant gap back to the contenders – one that became increasingly difficult to bridge as Bagnaia did not relent.
Finally, with those in front out of sight, Bagnaia backed off, riding home in ninth as Quartararo's fourth-placed finish left him 17 points short of back-to-back championships.
Francesco Bagnaia quipped that he "won't pay anyone" to help him dethrone Fabio Quartararo and claim a first MotoGP title at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday.
The odds are stacked against reigning champion Quartararo, who needs to win at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and hope Bagnaia finishes 15th or lower in the final race of the season in order to retain his crown.
Monster Energy Yamaha rider Quartararo will start in fourth place, with Bagnaia only able to take eighth spot on the grid.
Jorge Martin sealed a third successive pole position, with Marc Marquez second and Bagnaia's Ducati team-mate Jack Miller set to start the decisive race in third.
Italian Bagnaia is not expecting any favours as he stands within touching distance of the biggest moment of his career.
"I won't pay anyone! Anyone can be my team-mate for this race," said the 25-year-old.
"It is difficult to do a strategy because it is impossible to predict what will happen. Maybe in the first two or three laps I have to take risks so I can then manage.
"I just say [to the team] that if Fabio is close to me, or behind me, then [the team should let him know] and then I will decide what to do."
He added: "My thing tomorrow is not to win - just be calm, understand. I will take risks at the start to get a gap. But then just be smart."
Fabio Quartararo will be "aggressive but intelligent" when he attempts to snatch the MotoGP title from Francesco Bagnaia at the Valencia Grand Prix.
Defending champion Quartararo will start the decisive final race of the season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in fourth place, with Bagnaia eighth on the grid.
Monster Energy Yamaha rider Quartararo must win and hope Bagnaia finishes 15th or lower to retain his crown, as he trails the Italian by 23 points.
Jorge Martin took a third consecutive pole position on Saturday courtesy of a lap of one minute, 29.621 seconds, with Marc Marquez second and Jack Miller third.
Quartararo will not be giving up his title without a fight in Spain.
Asked if he needs a miracle, the Frenchman replied: "I am not thinking about that. I am thinking about the race - if I win, maybe something will happen.
"My main objective will be to fight for victory. It is the only thing I can do by myself. We will start in a good position, the pace is good, so I am confident.
"Tomorrow is a day to do whatever I want! I am 23 points behind so it’s the only positive I can find. My situation is to go all-in.
"I don't need to prove anything. But I want to win. I need to be aggressive but intelligent. Of course, I have to go aggressively from the beginning."
Quartararo says he will not be giving any thought to where Bagnaia is positioned during the race.
He added: "I don't care. On TV it looks like it's only him and me. But I need to focus on myself.
"It's not like we have a five-point difference and are fighting closely. There is a massive difference. What he does is not my problem. When the plan is so clear, I give no energy to anything else."
CLASSIFICATION
1. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) 1:29.621
2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.205
3. Jack Miller (Ducati) + 0.213
4. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) + 0.279
5. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.319
6. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) + 0.334
7. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.418
8. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.428
9. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.481
10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.503
11. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing) + 0.522
12. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) 0.620
Francesco Bagnaia reflected on "the best-ever start to a race in my life" after he roared from ninth on the grid to victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Ducati rider moved 23 points clear at the MotoGP title race summit with just one race to go, meaning he needs to only finish 14th to claim the championship next month in Valencia.
The Italian looked to have a fight on his hands to figure in the fight for the podium, though with rival Fabio Quartararo starting in 12th, both appeared to be out of the running before the lights went out in Sepang.
But a superb move down the inside of the first corner lifted Bagnaia to second, before race leader Jorge Martin's crash effectively helped hand him a major win - one that he could not contain his delight with afterwards.
"I want to say I had the best-ever start to a race in my life," he stated. "It was perfect. Following Jorge was a bit too much for the rear tyre and I was starting to stress.
"But then he crashed, unfortunately, and we did a really good job in terms of the championship. We can be very happy."
Quartararo, who finished third behind Enea Bastianini after also coming through the pack, raced with a fractured finger on his left hand, but still feels he has a chance of an upset in a fortnight in the final race of the season.
"The start was the key point, the first lap," he added. "We changed the strategy a little bit compared to Australia, where we wanted to keep the tyre fresh for the end.
"Even if now we are super far away [in the standings], I'm not giving up, and I want to finish in a good way in Valencia."
Francesco Bagnaia triumphed in a hard-fought Malaysian Grand Prix as Fabio Quartararo ensured the MotoGP world championship would go down to the wire by finishing third on Sunday.
Ducati rider Bagnaia, who only moved ahead of his Yamaha rival last week, needed to outscore Quartararo by 11 points to secure the riders' title.
But Frenchman Quartararo recovered from 12th on the grid to make sure the title would still be undecided heading into the final race of the season for only the fifth time in the MotoGP era.
Still, with a 23-point gap in the standings Bagnaia is in a mightily strong position heading to Valencia in a fortnight.
Bagnaia himself had to fight his way through the grid having started ninth and was involved in a taut tussle for the win with fellow Italian Enea Bastianini at the top of the pack.
The pair took advantage of original race leader Jorge Martin crashing out on the seventh lap, following a blistering pole on Saturday, and exchanged the lead multiple times throughout their close-fought battle.
Bagnaia was boosted by a sensational start that saw him split Martin and Bastianini to move immediately into second on the first corner.
From there, he looked in comfortable command and when Martin took a tumble the lead opened up in front of him.
Bastianini refused to go quietly on his heels, however, taking the lead on the 11th lap around Turn 4, only for Bagnaia to wrestle back control three laps later, where he held on for an emphatic finish.
Last week's race winner Alex Rins came home in fifth, while Mooney VR46's Marco Bezzecchi's fourth-place finish put a third Italian into the top four in Sepang.
TOP 10
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 40:14:332
2. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) +0.270
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +2.773
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) +5.446
5. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) +11.923
6. Jack Miller (Ducati) +13.472
7. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +14.304
8. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) +16.805
9. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +18.358
10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +21.591
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 258
2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) 235
3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) 212
4. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) 211
5. Jack Miller (Ducati) 189
Teams
1. Ducati 447
2. Aprilia Racing 334
3. Red Bull KTM 306
4. Pramac Racing 302
5. Monster Energy Yamaha 271
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