Stress, drama, heartbreak, glory, historical past, and happiness: Valencia delivers a season finale to bear in mind.
Following a extremely dramatic Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 2023 MotoGP™ World Champion is Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) after Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) crashed out of the race following an incident at Turn 4 with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Pecco went on to claim victory as a phenomenal combat for P1 played out, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) locked onto the Italian’s rear wheel. ‘Diggia’ crossed the line in 2nd with Zarco Third. Nonetheless, a submit-race sanction for Di Giannantonio attributable to sinful pressures demoted the Italian to P4 with Zarco being promoted to P2 and Brad Binder (Crimson Bull KTM Factory Racing) inheriting the final podium position.
Because of a Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) three-place grid penalty for ignoring the black and orange flags in Warm Up, Pecco was promoted to pole position for the final showdown, with Martin composed launching from P6.
For the final and most important time in 2023 it was time to race. Bagnaia obtained the dream getaway from pole to grab a crucial holeshot, with Martin also making a fantastic launch to grab an early P2. Pecco P1, Martin P2 – that’s how it was after the outlet lap, with the Crimson Bull KTM Factory Racing pair of Binder and Jack Miller P3 and P4.
Between the title fighting duo, it was as you were after the 2nd lap but a monumental moment then took place at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 3. Martin was factual within the slipstream of Pecco and as the duo chucked the anchors on into Turn 1, Martin obtained sucked in and made cramped contact with Pecco. Martin was huge – properly huge – and dropped to P8, with Pecco unhindered by the incident. Gargantuan drama early on.
The fightback began on Lap 4 for Martin. P8 became P7 as the Spaniard obtained the larger of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). Martin tried to own the same to Viñales a lap later but the latter bit straight back – and a repeat played out at Turn 11.
Up entrance, Binder was crawling all over the back of Pecco but focal level was in various places. A battle was raging between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), with that enabling Viñales and Martin to shut factual in.
What happened next ultimately determined the Championship. Martin was getting visibly frustrated and on Lap 6, having finally obtained thru on Viñales, Marc Marquez was next in line. At Turn 4, Martin lunged up the within of the eight-time World Champion but contact was made. So remarkable so, the pair were tangled together. Martin ran straight into the gravel as Marquez was thrown into a vicious highside, as two of the dwelling crowd favourites were down and out. Marquez’s final race with Honda ended in substantial disappointment, with Martin’s title hopes vanishing. A painful cease to a improbable campaign for the Prima Pramac star.
With Martin out, no matter what Bagnaia did, he regularly is the 2023 MotoGP™ World Champion. ‘MARTIN OUT’ was signalled on his pit board as the 2 KTMs of Binder and Miller were now first and 2nd, with Zarco and Viñales chasing Pecco.
With 12 laps to head though, Binder made a mistake. A astronomical one too. Actual as he did within the Tissot Dash, the South African was huge at Turn 11, and that dropped him from P1 to P6. Miller now led Pecco by fair over a 2nd.
Binder’s comeback began with an aggressive pass on Alex Marquez at Turn 4, and it was one that saw him handed a tumble one position penalty. With nine laps left, Miller’s race then ended. The Aussie crashed at Turn 10 which handed the lead back to Bagnaia, who had Zarco fair 0.3s at the back of him. A disastrous few laps for KTM.
The Championship may presumably have been determined, but the race certainly wasn’t. Binder was fair 1.5s away from the lead again and Diggia tagged himself onto the rear wheel of the KTM. Soon, the Italian was into P3 with 5 laps to head.
With three laps left, 0.3s was composed the gap between Pecco and Zarco. But cue the jaws tune – Di Giannantonio was on a mission. On Lap 25 of 27, the tip trio were split by 0.3s over the line. At Turn 4, Di Giannantonio shoved his Ducati up the within of Zarco’s and made a pass stick for P2. Subsequent: the World Champion elect.
LAST LAP OF THE SEASON: Three riders, only one may win. Would Bagnaia claim the title with a win or would it be Di Giannantonio or Zarco standing on the tip step? Halfway around the lap, there was no way thru. A head shake from Di Giannantonio told us frustrations were there, but Pecco rode fantastically to fend off each his compatriot and Zarco to win the World Championship within the easiest way potential: victory. A classy trot from your top three. The rostrum result would later change nevertheless with Di Giannantonio’s three-2nd penalty demoting him to P4 and promoting Binder onto the rostrum.
Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) earned his easiest result of the season with a fantastic P5. Alex Marquez was P6 with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) capping off his Yamaha career with a solid P7, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini in his final Mooney VR46 Racing Team appearance and Viñales rounded out the tip 10.
An sick Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) carried out P11 after feeling sick, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Lorenzo Savadori (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) the various finishers, as the latter ends his fat-time MotoGP™ career – for now – in P14 after a crash and remount.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) were the various riders to DNF, Bezzecchi after an early race crash with Marc Marquez.
And fair appreciate that, 2023 draws to a dramatic shut. Bagnaia is now a three-time World Champion as Martin gets location to come back back even stronger in 2024. What a season it’s been. Now, fat focal level turns to Tuesday’s Valencia Test – 2024 starts very quickly…
For more MotoGP information checkout our dedicated MotoGP News page
Or visit the official MotoGP website www.motogp.com