Ducati’s Jack Miller was euphoric in celebration after Fabio Quartararo’s dominant lead dissolved in the closing stages of the SpanishGP.

The emotional Australian took charge from lap 16, with teammate Pecco Bagnaia completing the set for the Bologna factory in second place. There was further delight as the Italian also took charge in the title-fight by two points, with his countryman Franky Morbidelli joining the podium party in third.

It was Fabio Quartararo who kicked off the SpanishGP from the pole position with Morbidelli and Miller alongside as the 25-lap race prepared. As expected, the Ducati power allowed Miller to steal the hole shot, Morbidelli retaining his second position with Bagnaia through to third as the Frenchman dropped to fourth. Alex Espargaro challenged in fifth as the first lap unfolded, Luca Marini dropping through the pack as he fell to 21st with Alex Marquez crashing out at turn eight as the opening lap played out, Brad Binder the next faller, at turn two, as the second lap began.

Back at the front and Bagnaia was threatening the wheels of the Petronas but it was Quartararo who swept through at turn 13 to claim third. Alex Rins briefly joined his Suzuki teammate for sixth and seventh before the Spaniard lost the GSX-RR after running wide at turn six. Espargaro was the next to advance on Bagnaia as Quartararo did the same on Morbidelli, Takaaki Nakagami running sixth from Joan Mir and Maverick Viñales with Johann Zarco in ninth and ahead of the Repsol Honda trio of Pol Espargaro, Stefan Bradl and Marc Marquez.

The end of lap four saw Quartararo take the lead as Morbidelli struggled to find his own way through on the Ducati ahead, the Frenchman immediately breaking a sixth-tenth gap as Miller failed to match the rapid pace.

The leading group continued to stretch out as lap seven got underway, the gaps fluctuating between sixth-tenths and one-second with Bagnaia the closest to Espargaro in fourth as just 0.2s split the battling latinos. Turn five eventually allowing the Ducati to dominate the Aprilia as lap nine unfolded.

Enea Bastianini’s impressive climb through the standings was brought to an abrupt end one lap later as the Avintia rider fell at turn two, the Italian rejoining behind Binder and ahead of Rins as the battered tiro continued their race from the back of the field.

Bagnaia had his friend and fellow VR46 academy graduate in his sights as lap 12 began, with the GP21 repeatedly threatening the M1 in front as Morbidelli tried to cling on to his podium position.

Marquez took charge of the Repsol train, in 10th, at the halfway stage with Miguel Oliveira running top-KTM behind the trio, in 13th, Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona followed their factory cohort in the final points-scoring positions with Valentino Rossi and Luca Marini circulating in 16th and 17th.

Disaster for Quartararo saw the Frenchman losing pace in dramatic style as lap 15 began. Miller relishing his newfound opportunity as the M1’s dominance fell from 1.5s to just a fraction of a second before the Australian pounced into turn one on the following lap to take an unexpected lead. The struggles continued as Bagnaia too began to reel in the floundering Yamaha, with front tyre issues or arm pump speculated to be the cause.

It was a Ducati one, two with eighth laps to go, as Quartararo’s hopes of securing a podium faded fast. Morbidelli making his move for third as the lap drew to a close with the remaining riders now queuing up to dispatch the heartbroken pole-man.

Nakagami, Mir and Espargaro were the next to sweep through before teammate Viñales picked him off as lap 20 began, Zarco and Marquez doing likewise moments later as Quartararo dropped from a dominant lead to 10th position in just a couple of laps with his race pace now almost three-seconds adrift.

Four laps to go and Miller was comfortably out in front, 1.6s ahead of his younger teammate with Morbidelli a further six-tenths behind. Nakagami now in control at the head of the second group from Mir and the elder Espargaro brother with Viñales and Zarco leading the Repsol pairing at the edge of the top-10.

As Quartararo’s free fall continued, Bagnaia was now in charge of the championship standings as he hunted down his captain ahead. Two laps left to play out and the tension ramping up, as the Ducati team willed them on from the sidelines.

The Australian was jubilant as he crossed the line to take his first victory since Assen in 2016, his first in factory colours, as he put a turbulent start to his season firmly behind him. Bagnaia completing the Ducati celebrations as he secured second from Morbidelli, with a breathtaking run from LCR’s still injured Nakagami was rewarded with fourth.

Mir claimed fifth from Aprilia’s Espargaro with Viñales, Zarco, Marquez and his Repsol partner completing the top-10. Oliveira took 11th from Bradl and a devastated Quartararo with Petrucci and Lecuona taking the final points. Marini pipped his brother in the closing stages as Rossi settled for a disappointing 17th with Tito Rabat and Lorenzo Savadori heading the remounted Rins at the end of the standings.