MotoGP 2022 Qatar Grand Prix: Enea Bastianini secures first MotoGP win
6th March 2022Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini secured his first-ever MotoGP win at the Qatar Grand Prix while the Ducati championship contenders crashed out at turn one.
How the race unfolded…
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, got a poor start from pole position as the front of his Ducati raised into the air. This allowed the Respol Honda’s of Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez to lead into the first corner, respectively. The remainder of the first lap was fairly uniformed, with minimal drama.
At the beginning of lap six, Marquez went in too deep into turn one as he kept close to Espargaro. As a result, this allowed the #33 of Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM, to get passed on the inside line. A lap later, Marquez fell down another spot as Bastainini overtook Marquez into turn one.
On lap eight, Mooney VR46 Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi crashed out at the last corner. As a result, the yellow flag was brought out for all sectors of the track but it went back under green flag running before the lap came to an end.
On lap 10, a yellow flag was brought out in the first sector after Alex Marquez crashed at turn one. This was the same fate for Red Bull KTM’s Miguel Oliveira who crashed off his bike at the same corner, a lap later.
At the halfway point of the race, Ducati Lenovo’s Francesco Bagnaia collided with Martin into turn one. Bagnaia went down the inside line, but the bike slipped from underneath him and went into Martin as the riders leaned into the corner. Fortunately, both drivers were okay.
Bastianini went slightly deep into turn one as he attempted an overtake on Binder into turn one, on lap 14 of 22. However, the Gresini’s rider managed to hold onto the position as the battle curled around the first corner.
Aprillia Racing’s Alexis Espargaro had followed closely to Marquez for the majority of the 17th lap, but as the two riders arrived at turn 15, A. Espargaro managed to slip down the inside line and take fourth place from the
Bastianini took the slipstream of the race leader, P. Espargaro, down the main straight. The Repsol rider tried to brake late into the first corner to regain ground, but he ended up going wide and lost another position to Binder. As a result, the #44 Repsol fell from first to third – ahead of his brother A. Espargaro who remained fourth.
Despite Binders best attempts, the KTM driver couldn’t find the performance to scamper Bastianini’s chance of securing his first MotoGP win.
Podium:
- Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing
- Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM
- Pol Espargaro, Repsol Honda
That’s it for the article: MotoGP 2022 Qatar Grand Prix: Enea Bastianini secures first MotoGP career win! What did you think Bastianini’s first MotoGP career win? Let us know in the comments!
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.