Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team celebrates his winning of the MotoGP during the awards ceremony in the Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang International Circuit, Sunday. - AP
SEPANG: Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia did enough to stay ahead of fellow Italian rider Enea Bastianini as he inched closer to his first MotoGP world title after winning the Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit on Sunday (Oct 23).
Bagnaia made a rocket start by leaping from the ninth to second spot at the start of the race to snatch the lead after pole-sitter Jorge Martin of Spain crashed out on the seventh lap.
And from then on, he stayed solid on track to claim the chequered flag and his seventh win of the season in 40:14.332 but it was not enough to wrap up the title fight.
Bastianini put up a good fight to stay close on Bagnaia's heels to finish second for Ducati in 40:14.602.
Defending champion Fabio Quartararo of France, who also made a superb start from 12th to fifth, went on to finish third for Monster Yamaha to ensure that the title race will be decided in the last leg at Valencia in two weeks time.
But the ball is in Bagnaia's court as only two points separate him from the world championship crown now.
The Italian hotshot has 258 points and a 23-point lead over Quartararo.
Italian Tony Arbolino won the Moto2 race as pole-sitter Ai Ogura of Japan lost his championship lead after crashing out on the final lap.
British rider John McPhee gave everything through the final corners to come out on top in the Moto3 race, earning his first chequered flag in two years.
Malaysia's Syarifuddin Azman, competing under a wildcard ticket, just missed out on a point-finish when he was placed 16th in the Moto3 race.
RACE RESULTS
MOTOGP: 1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita) Ducati Lenovo (Ducati) 40:14.332, 2. Enea Bastianini (Ita) Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) 40:14.602, 3. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) 40:17.105, 4. Marco Bezzecchi (Ita) Mooney VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) 40:19.778, 5. Alex Rins (Spa) Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) 40:26.255, 6. Jack Miller (Aus) Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati 40:27.804, 7. Marc Marquez (Spa) Repsol Honda Team (Honda) 40:28.636, 8. Brad Binder (Rsa) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
(KTM) 40:31.137, 9. Johann Zarco (Fra) Prima Pramac Racing (Ducati) 40:32.690, 10. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) 40:35.923.
Standings: 1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita) Ducati Lenovo (Ducati) 258 points, 2. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) 235, 3. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) 212,4. Enea Bastianini (Ita) Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) 211, 5. Jack Miller (Aus) Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) 189.
MOTO2: 1. Tony Arbolino (Ita) Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 38:25.233, 2. Alonso Lopez (Spa) Beta Tools Speed Up (Boscoscuro) 38:36.644, 3. Jake Dixon (Gbr) Inde Gasgas Aspar Team (Kalex) 38:37.035, 4. Augusto Fernandez (Spa) Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 38:38.439, 5. Manuel Gonzalez (Spa) Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Tea (Kalex) 38:40.003, 6. Marcel Schrotter (Ger) Liqui Moly Intact GP (Kalex) 38:42.399, 7. Cameron Beaubier (US) American Racing (Kalex) 38:45.455, 8. Aron Canet (Spa) Flexbox HP40 (Kalex) 38:49.512, 9. Jeremy Alcoba (Spa) Liqui Moly Intact GP (Kalex) 38:49.640, 10. Fermín Aldeguer (Spa) Beta Tools Speed Up (Boscoscuro) 38:49.715.
Selected: 19. Kasma Daniel (Mas) Petronas Mie Racing (Kalex) 39:18.354, 22. Azroy Anuar (Mas) Petronas Mie Racing (Kalex) 39:20.918.
Standings: 1. Augusto Fernandez (Spa) Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 251.5, 2. Ai Ogura (Jpn) Idemitsu Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 242, 3. Aron Canet (Spa) Flexbox HP40 (Kalex) 200, 4. Tony Arbolino (Ita) Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 175.5, 5. Celestino Vietti (Ita) Mooney VR46 Racing Team (Kalex) 165.
MOTO3: 1. John McPhee (Gbr) Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max (Husqvarna) 38:04.589, 2. Ayumu Sasaki (Jpn) Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max (Husqvarna) 38:04.637, 3. Sergio Garcia (Spa) Gaviota Gasgas Aspar Team (Gasgas) 38:04.735, 4. Jaume Masia (Spa) Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 38:04.834, 5. Diogo Moreira (Bra) MT Helmets - MSI (KTM) 38:04.908, 6. Dennis Foggia (Ita) Leopard Racing (Honda) 38:04.960, 7. Daniel Holgado (Spa) Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 38:10.406, 8. Ryusei Yamanaka (Jpn) MT Helmets - MSI (KTM) 38:10.623, 9. Ivan Ortola (Spa) Angeluss MTA Team (KTM) 38:10.819, 10. Deniz Oncu (Tur) Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) 38:11.321.
Selected: 16. Syarifuddin Azman (Mas) VisionTrack Racing Team (Honda) 38:19.401.
Standings: 1. Izan Guevara (Spa) Gaviota Gasgas Aspar Team (Gasgas) 294, 2. Sergio Garcia (Spa)
Gaviota Gasgas Aspar Team (Gasgas) 241, 3. Dennis Foggia (Ita) Leopard Racing (Honda) 233, 4.
Ayumu Sasaki (Jpn) Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max (Husqvarna) 227, 5. Deniz Oncu (Tur) Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM 180.
