MotoGP™: Rins wins whilst Pecco seizes Championship lead
Sunday, 16 October 2022
The second closest top 10 in MotoGP™ history.
Winning a MotoGP™ from 10th on the grid is not supposed to happen, but no one thought to mention that to Alex Rins after a pulsating 27-lap MotoGP™ fight in the Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2022.
Rins picked his way through the field, taking the lead at the midway point of the race and then ceded the position to Pecco Bagnaia's Ducati for most of the waning laps. He waited until the final lap to pounce, stealing the lead at Southern Loop, and held off a charging Marc Marquez Honda in a desperate sprint to the chequered flag.
Advertisement
It was an astonishing effort, particularly because Suzuki has just two more races in the sport before making a shock exit at the end of the season.
“It's amazing to go out with a victory!” smiled Rins after the race.
Marquez fired a warning to his opposition for 2023, particularly since he carried a soft rear tyre all the way to fight for the win, as opposed to nearly all of his rivals.
Bagnaia took what was probably the best third place of his career to take a stranglehold on the 2022 MotoGP™ crown. He missed the start after a problem with his Ducati's launch device but kept his head when it was important for him to do so.
On the very bike, Bagnaia raced a year ago, Marco Bezzecchi took fourth place, ensuring he takes out Rookie of the Year honours.
Enea Bastianini took fifth ahead of fellow Ducati riders Luca Marini, Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco and Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, who could only hang on as his RS-GP and his title hopes fell through the field.
The top 10 positions, rounded out by KTM's Brad Binder, were covered by less than six seconds, making it the second-closest top 10 in the history of the sport.
Fabio Quartararo had his worst race of the year, losing five seconds with an early excursion off the track and then tumbling out of the race on lap 11 at Southern Loop, while just on the edge of the points.
The Frenchman, who has led the MotoGP™ points since Round 5 in Portugal, will be 14 points behind Bagnaia when they take to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia this weekend.
Jack Miller's hopes of a win and of the world title were ended on Lap 9 when an out-of-control Alex Marquez clattered him out of a top six position at Miller Corner.
Fellow Aussie Remy Gardner brought his KTM home in 15th position after a spirited fight with Tech3 teammate Raul Fernandez.
A CLASSIC FOR THE AGES 😲@Rins42 and @suzukimotogp are victorious at the #AustralianGP 🏆#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/52cps1hyns
— Australian MotoGP™ (@ausmotogp) October 16, 2022
