After waiting 3 years for a win, the Italian has won his second MotoGP in just 7 days.
Starting in pole position, Bagnaia was untouchable after completing the first lap with a 1.3 second lead.
The Ducati rider risked a soft rear tyre, and managed to hold off Champion leader Fabio Quartararo, as he nipped at his heels in the final lap.
In the post-race interview, the Ducati rider said he was ‘very happy’, noting the two big wins in a row were incredible, while admitting that he was ‘struggling a bit with the soft rear (tyre), but tried to push when Fabio was following…’
Aussie fellow Ducati teammate Jack Miller was unable to secure a podium finish, after he started in second position on the grid, and finished in 5th position when Joan Mir was penalised 1 lap for exceeding track limits.
Rookie rider Enea Bastianini ran a brilliant race in his hometown, finishing 3rd in his first ever MotoGP podium.
Quartararo ran an excellent race to finish 2nd on the podium, remaining the Championship leader on 234 points.
Key Race Moments
Francesco Bagnaia finishes lap 1 with a 1.3 second lead, Jack Miller maintains position second, while Fabio Quartararo holds 3rd
23 laps to go, Aleix Espargaró takes a costly wide turn, giving Marc Marquez 4th position
22 laps to go, at turn 9 Enea Bastianini takes 4th from Marc Marquez
20 laps to go, Factory Ducatis remain 1 & 2 with Bagnaia and Miller pulling away from the pack
17 laps to go, Quartararo mounts pressure on Miller
14 laps to go, Quartararo takes 2nd position from Miller, while Andrea Dovizioso go exceeding track limits penalty
13 laps to go, turn 14 Alex Rins takes Marc Marquez for 5th position
10 laps to go, Rins 10 crashes out in Sector 1
9 laps to go, Bastianini sets fastest lap record for the third consecutive lap,
3 laps to go, Bastianini sets fastest lap record as he chases down Miller, taking 3rd position into turn 14
1 lap to go, Quartararo mounts pressure on Bagnaia, but unable to take the race leader
Podium
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
- Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)
- Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
Tune in to BOLD and 10 play on Monday 4th October at 6:30 am for the Grand Prix of USA
