“That was the hardest race of the year and of my life. I had a lot of trouble.” The stone that fell from Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati) heart yesterday at the World Championship final in Valencia after winning the MotoGP title could well have been heard in his home country of Italy. A ninth place was enough for him, while his remaining opponent, defending champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), finished fourth. But the Suzuki team, which was eliminated from the World Championship, also celebrated a fitting farewell with race winner Alex Rins (2023 with Honda) on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, as did the Innviertler KTM team, Brad Binder’s second place and Augusto’s Moto2 title Fernandez could celebrate.
For Bagnaia it was the second world champion crown after that in Moto2 in 2018. But the title in the premier class is now much higher. “We’re talking about the MotoGP title here – with Ducati, as an Italian. That makes everything different,” said the 25-year-old. He gave “den Roten” from Borgo Panigale an overall victory again 15 years after Casey Stoner.
Bagnaia is also the first Italian to win the title since his mentor Valentino Rossi in 2009. And it’s even 50 years ago since Giacomo Agostini in 1972 in an MV Agusta was last triumphed by an Italian in an Italian make.
After his fall at the Sachsenring in mid-June, Bagnaia was still 91 points behind Frenchman Quartararo, but thanks to a sensational race to catch up with five wins from nine races he overtook him. He went into the final with a lead of 23 points and closed the sack yesterday.
Before the MotoGP finale in Valencia, the Spaniard Fernandez already showed how a title should be celebrated. He won the duel between two Kalex riders against the Japanese Ai Ogura after the Japanese Honda rider slipped over the front wheel on lap seven. Fernandez, who finished second behind teammate Pedro Acosta, succeeds Australian Remy Gardner and will ride for Tech3-GasGas in MotoGP next season. “I think he can also become a great pilot there,” said KTM team boss Pit Beirer, who was also happy with the South African Binder. Because his second place gave the factory team second place behind Ducati in the prestigious team classification.
In Moto3, the title went to Izan Guevara (Sp/Gasgas). Jakob Rosenthaler from Linz ended the season in the Rookies Cup with places eleven and twelve. (free)
World Cup results
MotoGP: Valencia Grand Prix (27 laps): 1. Alex Rins (Sp) Suzuki 41:22.250, 2. Brad Binder (Rsa) KTM +0.396, 3. Jorge Martin (Sp) Ducati +1.059, 4. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Yamaha +1.911, 5 .Miguel Oliveira (Por) KTM +7.122; further: 9th Francesco Bagnaia (It) Ducati +14.441, 12th Raul Fernández (Sp) KTM +24.870, 13th Remy Gardner (Aus) KTM +26.546; final score:
1st Bagnaia 265 points, 2nd Quartararo 248,
3. Enea Bastianini (It) Ducati 219; further:
6. Binder 188; 10. Oliveira 149.
Moto2: 1st Pedro Acosta (Sp) KTM 39:52.413 2nd Augusto Fernandez (Sp) KTM +1.232 3rd Tony Arbolino (It) Eleven +10.163; Final standings: 1st Fernandez 271.5, 2nd Ai Ogura (Jpn) Honda 242.
Moto3: 1st Izan Guevara (Sp) GasGas 38:10.406; Final score: Guevara 319.
Source: Nachrichten
