SEPANG, Nov 12 — Ducati Lenovo Team rider, Enea Bastianini, picked up his first silverware of the season after being crowned the 2023 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) champion today.
Starting in the third grid, Bastianini delivered a stellar performance in the opening lap to overtake his teammate and reigning world champion, Francesco Bagnaia, along with Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin, to take the lead under sunny skies at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
The Italian crossed the finishing line in 39 minutes 59.137 seconds (s) to break his title drought since he last tasted victory at the Aragon GP, Spain, in September last year.
Celebrating the win, the 25-year-old released a triumphant fist bump to end his quest for silverware.
Yesterday’s sprint race champion, Alex Marquez from Gresini Racing MotoGP, was runner-up, +1.535s adrift from Bastianini, while Bagnaia, who was +2.027s behind, completed the podium.
Bagnaia’s main rival, Martin, on the other hand, completed the race in fourth place with 40:09.663s, while former 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP posted 40:14.137s to end up fifth.
Bastianini later said he was absolutely delighted to return to the top of the podium after having such a difficult season due to injuries.
“I have a very incredible feeling now; it is already my first victory of the year. It is fantastic because the team had worked very well from the start to finish,” he told a post-race press conference.
Marquez, meanwhile, said it was indeed a great weekend for him in Sepang and was now raring to do better in the next race in Lusail International Circuit, Qatar, from November 17 to November 19.
As MotoGP 2023 heads into the penultimate race of the season, today’s result saw Bagnaia move 14 points clear over second-placed Martin, who has collected 398 points so far.
Despite the lead, Bagnaia, better known as Pecco, was glad to get the better of Martin without encountering any issues.
“It is still a small gap. We will approach Qatar like we did this weekend and aim for a strong start. However, the new tarmac there makes it even more unpredictable,” he said.
After the Qatar GP, the 2023 season is set to conclude at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, from November 24 to November 26.
— Bernama
