MotoGP Jerez 2022, the return of Bagnaia

This is the GP with which Bagnaia could concretely reintegrate in the race for the title. He believes it, qualifying went very well, and it’s time to put everything into the race.

The departure of the Ducatista is a shot, as well as that of Quartararo who gets in the wake of the Italian rider, while behind 6 tenths slower there is a triptych of dangerous unknowns such as Miller, Marc Marquez and Aleix Espargaro, now fixed in the top five with his apriliona, the surprise of this World Championship 2022.

On the ninth lap Zarco falls, one of those riders who seemed to have everything in his right wrist to make a good race. One less thought for the two race captains, on lap 10, 4 seconds from the trio of bad guys mentioned above. Meanwhile, further behind, we point out Bezzecchi eighth and Bastianini tenth.

We are 14 laps from the checkered flag and Bagnaia proves to have more, adding a few decimers between himself and the world champion Quartararo. The cameras, however, linger on the challenge for third place among a solid Miller and an incarnate M. Marquez, who is taking measurements at Ducati. And, slyly, A. Espargaro does not give up the wake of the two, waiting for the first mistake to enter the dispute decisively.

Meanwhile, Bezzecchi confirms his solidity in eighth place, Bastianini in a slight comeback (he is ninth), while Luca Marini, in 14th place, is in pain.

Less than 10 laps, the gap between Bagnaia and Quartararo varies between 69 and 85 tenths, while Miller, Marquez and – an arrembante – Espargaro are further and further away: 6.7 seconds. Mir, in fifth place, is stuck 1.6 seconds behind the trio, showing no lively signs of being able to get close.

The laps pass by rather anonymously, both at the head of the race and in the rear and in the middle. In short, the positions move very little, with the riders crystallized while all of us are waiting for that exploit promised by an aggressive Marquez, who on lap 20 pulls out the champion’s paw: first he slips Miller with a trajectory stuck to the curb and then a detached one like they hadn’t seen for a while.

But it’s the turn after that everything happens: while Marquez and Miller play them, Espargaro’s Aprilia comes out at the last corner, who, taking advantage of a mistake by the eight-time Spanish world champion, overtakes both rivals in one fell swoop. And away, the Apriliona puts the turbo and in one lap puts 3/4 tenths to Ducati and Honda: Espargaro proves that with the road clear he has more.

Meanwhile, ahead, Quartararo seems to have entered the “comeback” map: the tenths from Bagnaia go down from 8 to 4.7 and there are now only two laps to go. The Italian rider is concentrated, he drives well, but it is true that the blue Yamaha seems to be continuously gaining a few meters.

Last lap. Marquez wants fourth place and proves to be a great driver putting on an incredulous Miller which sees the Spaniard draw a mega black comma at supersonic speed. Beautiful last three laps.

Podium: Bagnaia, Quartararo and A. Espargaro which is confirmed as very solid on his RS-GP. With this umpteenth podium, Aprilia loses all the advantages granted by the regulation. Beautiful news, because it means that the Casa di Noale is back among the great ones.

See you next weekend with the sixth round of the season: May 15 for the French Grand Prix at the Le Mans circuit.