MotoGP Qatar 2022 race: Bastianini wins the first of the year

The 2022 MotoGP season has started in style, with an Italian hat-trick in all three categories. Migno prevailed in Moto3 and Vietti in Moto2, with an Enea Bastianini who in his second season in the premier class has achieved his first victory. The MotoGP Qatar 2022 race kicks off the new season of the World Championship.

Bastianini, 24, has achieved his first victory in the top category when he has 19 MotoGP races. The Gresini Racing Ducato achieved victory ahead of the Hondas of Pol Espargaró (3rd) and Marc Márquez (5th). And this despite the fact that the youngest of the Espargaró family dominated most of the race until he ran out of rear tyre.

MotoGP Qatar 2022 race: Bastianini wins the first of the year

The start of the race was dominated by the Repsol Hondas, who were able to open a gap with the rest of the riders due to the scare caused by Bastianini and Jorge Martín, without further consequences. However, they were unable to open enough space to consolidate victory, as drivers such as Brand Binder, Joan Mir and Martín himself were riding at a good pace behind the Catalan drivers.

Until the fifth lap. Pol Espargaró managed to break away from his pursuers and opened a gap against the second, who was no longer Márquez, but Binder, before the eight-time world champion was once again overtaken by the speed of Bastianini’s Ducati at the end of the straight. Behind, Aleix Espargaró lapped fifth just ahead of Mir.

Riders like Quartararo and Bagnaia, favorites for the title this year, were then running in ninth and tenth position, respectively. Meanwhile, on lap 12, a drastic turn of events saw Martin and Bagnaia, who were running 8th and 9th, go down after the Italian fell and took Martin with him.

Meanwhile, Pol continued to lead with a difference of 1 second over his pursuers, until Bastianini changed his pace and overtook Binder to move to second position in the race. On lap 17, the Italian had cut eight tenths off the Honda rider and was already just 0.2 seconds behind the leader, just as Aleix Espargaró overtook Márquez and took fourth place.

With five laps to go, Bastianini managed to overtake Pol and reach first place, while Binder also overtook the Spaniard and moved into second, relegating the younger Espargaró to third place. With only two laps to go, Bastianini took off with a difference of 1.2 seconds over Binder, and 1.7 seconds over Espargaró.

Behind, Aleix Espargaró got the fourth position, followed by Márquez (5th), Mir (6th), Álex Rinx (7th), Viñales (12th) and Raúl Fernández (18th). This is how the MotoGP Qatar 2022 race ended:

Main photo: Enea Bastianini (Twitter)