An amazing MotoGP race at Phillip Island earlier today saw the first seven riders finish within one second of each other. Frequent lead changes at the front created an exciting spectacle for fans watching the race.
In the end, Alex Rins (Suzuki) crossed the finish line first just in front of Marc Marquez (Honda) and Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati).
Bagnaia was the big winner, however, as title rival Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) crashed out of the race in the early laps (unhurt). Bagnaia now leads the championship by 14 points over Quartararo with two races remaining. Just five races ago, Quartararo had a 91 point lead in the championship that seemed insurmountable.
For full results of today’s race, take a look here. You can find additional details on the MotoGP site.
Per MotoGP.com
Bagnaia, World Champion in Malaysia if…
– He wins and Quartararo doesn’t finish on the podium
– He finishes P2, Quartararo doesn’t finish better than P7 and Aleix Espargaro doesn’t win
– He finishes P3, Quartararo doesn’t finish better than P11 and Aleix Espargaro doesn’t finish on the podium
– He finishes P4, Quartararo doesn’t finish better than P14 and Aleix Espargaro doesn’t finish on the podium
– He finishes P5, Quartararo fails to score any points and Aleix Espargaro doesn’t finish on the podium
Translation: Bagnaia is more likely than not to secure the championship this weekend.
What a fantastic race!
I saw Dirk’s article and commented on it. Marco came out and said post Phillip Island that he didn’t try to pass Pecco at anytime during the race because they were friends. I’m sure Nieto was ok with it and certainly the Gigi/Davide/Paolo crew were ok with it too. My only point is I, as a paying customer of MotoGP, am NOT ok with it. And frankly, I find it hard to believe that Rossi would be ok with it. He must be getting soft in his old age because when he raced, he would never have rolled over for someone. I see lots of comments on here about riders are paid to take orders and that Yamaha/Honda would do the same thing, etc. So, if VR46 switches to Yamaha in ‘24, then what??? Where do all the real or perceived loyalties end and the real racing begin?? Nowhere in MotoGP apparently. I didn’t see any pussyfooting around in the Moto3 race between Garcia and Guevara. They are both Spanish and both race for GasGas. They both knew that taking each other out could jeopardize one of them winning the championship and bring Foggia right back into the fray. But they raced each other HARD for the whole race. Lots of late lunges from Sergio and passes Por Fuera by Izan. No quarter asked and none taken. I respect those kids a lot more than the crap that is going on in the “premier” class right now with Ducati. But maybe I am foolish to think that the best riders in the world would win at any cost still. I guess there really is a man behind the curtain running the show. Remember when Lorenzo and Pedrosa wouldn’t even look at each other on the podium and the mayor or king or whatever made them shake hands??? I miss those days.
Rossi’s brother Luca confirmed what you said, i.e. Bez held back because he didn’t want to pass Pecco. Pace was super slow… did other Ducatis hold back to leave Pecco in front? Won’t matter if Quartararo continues to ride the way he has lately.
There was nothing in it for Bezzecchi (14th in championship points) going for a podium spot and passing Bagnaia’s Ducati just as it was far safer to collect the safe bronze points for Bagnaia. Marco may well have a long and well paid future in front of him and he knew it wasn’t the right time for a pass. Unfortunate Miller however would have had no such constraints and could have made an already exciting race that much better with a hard charge to the front. It’s just racing folks.
Finishing on the podium in MotoGP is nothing?? How about Marco trying to pass Pecco on laps 21-24 to win the race?? Is that nothing also?? Marco is going to have a future in MotoGP with or without Ducati. VR 46 may be switching to Yamaha after next season. The fact is that he stated he didn’t try to pass Pecco because they are friends. That may be your definition of world championship racing but it certainly isn’t mine.If it’s really “just racing” let’s just vote on who is gonna win the championship before the season starts and everybody can follow that guy around all season. SMH.
None of those opportunities are “nothing” but the risk/reward equation wasn’t good. Sure he has a future in MotoGP with or without Ducati. Based on how all of the bikes are performing, would you want to be on a Ducati supplied team or one supplied by one of the others?
Yes, he said he didn’t pass because they are “friends” but you should know better than to believe that they say everything there is to say in an interview.
I guess I will just have to agree to disagree with you guys on this. If Pecco being his friend wasn’t the real reason he didn’t pass him, then what was? Because Ducati told him not to? Because they didn’t say anything to him but he figured he better not rock the boat? None of these reasons are acceptable to me as a fan. Ducati isn’t going to be top dog forever. I think it is apparent that Honda and Yamaha are gonna come out swinging next year. We saw how quickly Aprilia got their act together. KTM is gonna keep throwing money at it until they are a serious threat. As I stated before, if I was a race team manager or sponsor, I would need a better reason than Marco had for not trying to win a race. If a world championship is going to come down to who has the most bikes on the grid combined with what riders like what other riders, then I will quietly cancel my subscription and bid MotoGP a good day. Your mileage may vary.
The Championship doesn’t come down to who has the most bikes or team orders. You and Dirck must have missed the last few races. Fabio has been riding poorly not scoring points, that’s why he lost touch with Bagnaia in the points.
Fantastic race in MotoGP as well as Moto3!!! Call me a grumpy old man if you will, but if I was a race team manager and I heard one of my riders say they didn’t even TRY to pass someone because they are friends, said rider would be looking for a new employment opportunity ASAP. Zarco and Bezzechi have gifted Pecco 6 points. That might not amount to anything in the end, but then again, it might. I can’t imagine Doohan or Rossi or Lorenzo or Marquez ever saying something like that. Just not in their DNA. I have nothing against Ducati or their riders. I own a Ducati. But ffs, this is not a popularity contest, is it????
You may have missed the op-Ed Dirk posted a few days ago. Bezzechi likely yielded the position for reasons more than just friendship and his team manager would’ve authorized it beforehand and the behest of their bike supplier. You can expect gentle treatment from other Ducati mounted riders until the championship is decided.
Wow what a race. I guess this is why they don’t just give trophies away after qualifying. Anyone else notice how close A. Marquez’s bike got to Miller’s leg when he torpedoed him? That coulda been ugly.
Best race of the season, hands down. Perhaps the best race of the past two or three seasons. The excitement and drama witnessed today restores my faith in MotoGP. Next week’s penultimate race in Malaysia should be an edge-of-the-seat event, can’t wait.
Now that was an exciting race. Quartararo had better send nice Christmas cards to Rins and Marquez for keeping the title within reach, even if he’ll need his go-go gadet arms to reach it. I knew it would be be a pretty close points race, but I did expect Fabio to stay in control of it. Unless Bagnaia makes a pretty big error in Malaysia, it’s hard to imagine Fabio making up the points.
I’m still surprised Marquez has been performing the way he has since coming back. It did seem that this particular track didn’t penalize the Honda for it’s many faults as much as most of the tracks. Still, he was head-and-shoulders above the other the other Hondas and was a proper threat to win that race.
Rins was truly great. A lot of overtakes to work his way up to the front and a proper scrap to cross the line first. I hope Honda fixes that bike next year. Rins and Mir deserve a workable machine.
“ Just five races ago, Quartararo had a 91 point lead in the championship that seemed insurmountable.”
In other words…cough, cough, choke, choke, choke…with a capital C.
So who tried to murder Quattro this time folks?!
Could it really just be down to the Yamaha’s shortcomings? His former winner of a team mate is 2nd highest ranked Yamaha in 19th on the same bike.
Fabio’s last 8 results = DNF, 8, 2, 5, DNF, 8, 17, DNF. Pecco’s last 8 = 1,1,1,1,2, DNF, 3, 3. Not hard to see which way this has been going. I can’t see how he can revive this title chase unless Pecco gifts him a DNF and he gets back to how he rode in the 1st half of the season.
franco has outright stated several times in 2021 and 2022 that he does not receive the same support/equipment(bike) as quattro. he’s complained so often, and clearly knows his complaints fall on deaf ears, that he just now smiles and says nothing.
choke city quattro. first half of season was no competition. last half of the season saw ducati get things sorted.
i will accept that the ducati is now the better bike of the two.
—i will argue that even on a lesser bike quattro has “talent” and “experience” enough to score points (like MM has done in the past two races on a lesser bike [when he is not crashed out by competitors]) and should quite comfortably parlay a 91 point championship advantage into a title. unless , like you say, he is gifted a DNF from pecco, he most likely will fail in that. he is a slightly more successful choke artist than the likes of Vinales and Zarco. great Free Practice and Qualifying riders but nothing to worry about when the races start.
forgot to add…
2022 results show MM has 104 points. next Honda rider is Pol with 54 points.
i find it hard to believe that Honda had Pol riding on a lesser bike in MM’s absence…saving ‘the good’ bike for MM’s eventual/possible return.
it’s the rider.
The rider is a key component, no doubt about that, but how much technical disadvantage can a rider be expected to overcome?
Two+ years ago all 4 Yamaha’s typically finished in the top-10 in the championship and both Repsol Hondas were reliable front runners. Today if you aren’t Fabio or MM, these bikes are back markers, while Ducati has won 11 of the 18 races so far and hasn’t failed to have one of their riders on the podium at any race this year.
Well said.
If I’m not mistaken, I recently read something or other from Quattro stating his only available option left to get more speed from the bike was for himself to lose weight.
He said he wasn’t looking forward to that at all but judging by recent images…it appears he has done that. Gaunt looking kid.
Making weight for race weekend…no thanks. Got to add to the frustration.
I still believe he has/had the required amount of ‘talent’ to nurse his lead to the championship…but is no longer inspired. Maybe his interest in other things that wealth/fame/youth provide and attract are now taking a front seat?
If that’s the case then I don’t expect much from him next year.
I don’t think he’ll save this championship. This year is playing out similar to 2020 season when he also fell out of contention at the end of the year. He’s frustrated but I don’t think he’s lost his motivation to win. I fully expect him to come out firing next season. He’s tested next year’s bike alongside the other teams and it’s much better. He’ll have competitive top speed. Hopefully they’ve worked out whatever issues have been preventing the other Yamaha riders from being competitive (Morbidelli used to win races).
i’d believe quattro “may” be competitive in ’23. I hope so too…otherwise it’s going to be MM battling alone against the ducs all year.
(my guess is MM wants to win one last title and then pull the pin…[go out on top… not like the vast majority of old ex-champs whom can’t win races nor podium] to enjoy the fruits of his labors)
if MM wins a 2023 title I’d guess it will be a super tight points race resulting from wicked on the edge battle after battle and it would take a lot of luck for MM to win a title, on points, against the all the ducs. i don’t think MM’s bike is good enough to outright beat the all the ducs all day long even if MM is. i’d guess if MM wins a ’23 title he does so with a lot of consistent point scoring and with very very few 1st places finishes. i’d like to be wrong and see MM win a lot of races 😉
Wow, great race.
Rins rode amazingly well. Too bad Suzuki is quitting. Marquez looked like the old Marquez. The top 5 or 6 looked like anyone one of them could have won it, and would have deserved it.
Too bad about Miller. That was a hard unexpected hit.
Quatararo is having a rough go of it lately.
Now that was great racing. Marc proved that he is really back to form. Did you see that save on Saturday? Rins got a win that showed just how excellent a rider he is and must have impressed his future teammate. Rins and Marquez did Fabio a service to keep his chances alive even with his choke on the Southern Loop. Gotta love Phillip Island that always seems to deliver.
So the champagne drinking boots are…props?
Nope, they take them off, pour in the bubbly, and drink it. Its called a shoey, and its an Aussie tradition. Daniel Ricciardo from F1 did it every time he won.