Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia celebrates after successful the MotoGP World Championship on November 26, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia loved a dream day as he retained his MotoGP world title and topped it with victory in the ultimate race of the season in Valencia on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Ducati rider had been assured of the championship when his sole rival Jorge Martin crashed early in the race.
Bagnaia had had his personal nightmare crash when he suffered a leg harm in the Catalunya MotoGP in early September.
“It’s a dream!” stated Bagnaia of his title.
“I am super happy
“It’s been a fantastic season even when Barcelona and the leg harm made it actually powerful for the run in.
“I’ve always dreamed of winning the title while also winning the race.
“I wish to pay tribute to the crew, who’ve finished a unprecedented job this season.”
Bagnaia was leading at the time on his Ducati unaware that Martin had come to grief after his Ducati-Pramac clipped Marc Marquez’s Honda resulting in both riders coming to grief.
Martin walked off shaking his hands in frustration whilst six-time champion Marquez limped away in what was his final race for Honda.
Martin returned to the pitlane where he burst into tears and was embraced by his team members after the crash that left the 93,000 spectators in shock.
Once the tears had dried post the finish of the race he graciously hugged Bagnaia and conceded that although he had been king of the sprint races this season — the Spaniard won nine — his rival deserved the title.
“I made too many errors, that’s the easy reality,” said Martin, who had done well to make the title race competitive as Bagnaia held a 62 point lead at the halfway stage of the season.
“These are issues I might want to kind out for subsequent season.”
‘Head dropped’
Bagnaia for his part was a bag of nerves he said during the race as he did not realise his rival had crashed out.
“I didn’t see that Martin had crashed,” said Bagnaia, even though his team held out a board to announce he was out.
“I assumed he was nonetheless in the race and I used to be scared.
“I said to myself the best thing to do was to ride to win the race and that would ensure I retained the title.”
Martin, 25, had made a superb begin, the Spaniard surging from sixth on the grid to second and pressuring Bagnaia.
However, on the second lap Martin clipped Bagnaia’s bike and though he averted whole catastrophe he dropped right down to eighth spot.
A couple of laps later, although, he was unable to save lots of himself a second time and the title was delivered into 26-year-old Bagnaia’s palms.
Bagnaia — who began from pole after Maverick Vinales was demoted for an infraction through the warm-up — rode an ideal race in contrast and regained the lead after Jack Miller crashed spectacularly.
Although final week’s Qatar victor Fabio Di Giannantonio challenged him Bagnaia held his nerve and eased over the road, punching the air in delight as he recorded his seventh win of the marketing campaign.
Di Giannantonio held off Frenchman Johann Zarco to take second.
“I am very happy,” stated Di Giannantonio.
“I was not feeling very good in the middle of the race.
“I discovered some reserves and thought I may move him on the ultimate lap however on the ultimate nook I misplaced it and my head dropped.”
Bagnaia after climbing off his bike proceeded to slam dunk a basketball after which put three gold rings onto his fingers.
It is the second successive yr Bagnaia has gained the title on the ultimate day — Martin had diminished his result in simply 14 factors on Saturday with victory in the dash race.
