San Marino MotoGP Race Results | Bagnaia survives Bastianini to win by 0.034s

Pecco Bagnaia has become the first Ducati rider to claim four MotoGP victories on the bounce after resisting a hard-charging Enea Bastianini on the final lap of the San Marino MotoGP to win in Misano by just 0.034secs.

An engrossing encounter that snowballed in tension as the chequered flag neared, Bastianini looked capable of providing the dramatic crescendo as he closed in the concluding laps, but despite setting the fastest time on the final revolution he’d fall just a whisker short of victory.

A crucial win for Bagnaia - his sixth of the season - it hauls him right back into the 2022 MotoGP title fight as he leapfrogs Aleix Espargaro for second overall, just 30 points shy of long-time series leader Fabio Quartararo.

Starting fifth as the result of being handed a three-place grid penalty on Friday, Bagnaia negated the relegation by immediately getting into third by turn one from a strong take-off, trailing pole sitter Jack Miller and Bastianini during the initial couple of laps.

Behind them, Johann Zarco’s fairly slim title hopes were dealt a significant blow as one of three riders to crash out at Turn 1. Coming after Zarco made a poor start to get swallowed into the pack, a glancing blow from Brad Binder sent the Frenchman into Michele Pirro and Pol Espargaro, forcing the trio out.

Up at the front, Miller - seeking his first win since the 2021 French MotoGP - saw his dreams of victory end abruptly on just lap two when he folded the front at the tricky Turn 4 right-hander.

Indeed, in a race of attrition early on, seven riders would hit the deck by the end of lap three with Marco Bezzecchi - briefly up to third following Miller’s crash - sliding off his VR46 Ducati just moments later at Turn 10, while Fabio di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli were forced out of the running on lap three.

While Bastianini inherited the lead amid the skirmishes, Bagnaia soon pounced on his future Ducati Corse team-mate with a pass on lap three at Turn 8. With the Gresini Ducati rider unsettled by Bagnaia’s advance, Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales promptly capitalised too with an aggressive lunge for second at Turn 14.

Controlling the pace out front, Bagnaia stretched the pack but still had Vinales, Bastianini and Luca Marini - fresh from his career best result of fourth last time out in Austria - for close company just behind.

It was a quartet that remained fairly static for three quarters of the race with the best of the pace seemingly belonging to Vinales as he hounded a nonetheless steadfast Bagnaia out front.

However, Vinales feisty riding would come at a cost and after a few missed apexes flagging the fact his tyres were beginning to wane, it was all the invitation Bastianini needed to grab second with eight laps remaining.

Indeed, Bastianini’s ascent to second place came amid a determined fight back into contention after an error on Lap 15 briefly allowed Marini through into third place. However, Bastianini struck right back to reclaim the position and, seemingly heeding the warning that now was the time to push, got his head down and set his sights on Bagnaia ahead.

With all three of his victories this season - in Qatar, the USA and France - the result of patient, well-judged late pushes, Bastianini appeared on course to repeat the trick for a fourth time as he scythed up behind Bagnaia.

However, once there, the Italian could only shadow box his inch-perfect rival, leading to a moment on the final lap into Turn 4 where his half-attempt to overtake ended with him sitting up and running wide so as not to strike the back of his fellow Ducati rider.

Despite losing a second, a determined Bastianini regrouped to be right on his rival’s tail through the final sector. However, despite getting alongside on the run to the line - remarkably setting the fastest lap of the race even with that error - Bagnaia dipped for the flag by one of the smallest winning margins in MotoGP history.

Twelve months on from seeing his 2021 MotoGP title hopes disappear in a hail of gravelstones, Misano could prove pivotal for Bagnaia’s revitalised 2022 aspirations as a fourth win in a row sees him displace Espargaro as Quartararo’s closest rival for the crown.

In second place, Bastianini appears to have demonstrated the faith Ducati has shown by promoting him to the factory team for 2023 over Jorge Martin, the Italian rising back to fourth in the standings as a result.

Despite losing ground in the closing stages, Vinales held on for his third podium in four races, ahead of Marini, who repeated his career-best by holding off series leader Quartararo.

The Yamaha rider always faced a tough ask to get onto the podium from eighth on the grid, but despite clawing his way up to fifth place by lap six and pulling back a two-second margin to the front group, he was never quite able to latch onto them.

Erstwhile closest MotoGP rival Espargaro endured a fairly ordinary afternoon by his 2022 standards in a distant sixth place, while Alex Rins flew the flag for Suzuki in seventh, as MotoGP debuting team-mate Kazuki Watanabe - subbing for Joan  Mir - finished, albeit last and lapped.

Brad Binder continued his stealthy run of solid results with a slow-burning rise to eighth at the flag, ahead of Martin in ninth and Alex Marquez - the best of the Hondas - in tenth.

With only 16 riders managing to reach the flag without hitting the deck or running off track, there were points to play for among some lesser fancied names with Miguel Oliveira crossing the line 11th, after a post-race penalty for track limits warnings.

Andrea Dovizioso brought his long and successful MotoGP career to a conclusion with a solid few points, the Italian - who made his premier class debut in 2008 - completing his 248th and final MotoGP race in 12th.

Raul Fernandez cracked the points for only the third time this season in 13th, while Stefan Bradl and Takaaki Nakagami completed the top fifteen.

2022 San Marino MotoGP | Misano | Race Results