Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia completed the dream on Sunday by taking back to back wins in front of his home fans after another sensation last lap battle.
Fabio Quartararo’s comeback was equally breathtaking with the Yamaha challenging for victory contention in the closing stages, Enea Bastianini stunning the paddock as he claimed third on a two-year-old Ducati in his rookie year at his local track.
The front row was a mirror image of MotorLand Aragon as the San MarinoGP prepared. Ducati’s Bagnaia and Jack Miller heading the grid from title leader Quartararo with the threatening presence of Pramac’s Jorge Martin and Johan Zarco behind.
The Frenchman was quick from the off as he scalped Miller at the first corner before the Ducati hit back, Zarco suffering as he dropped to ninth before exiting the top 10 as his rookie teammate battled Marc Marquez for fourth.
Bagnaia was off as the race evened out, carving an almost one and a half second lead by half way round lap two as Quartararo was left fighting Martin on the end of the podium. - the Pramac man having got back through on the Repsol Honda. The praise was short-lived however, as Martin crashed out at turn 14 on lap three.
Aleix Espargaro was up to fourth after bettering his younger brother and Marquez, Bastianini doing likewise on the Suzuki pair as Alex Rins and Joan Mir dropped to eighth and ninth.
The Italian was feeling confident as he made a move on Pol Espargaro, Rins bravely following suit when the opportunity allowed at the final corner.
The situation was repeated further up as Marquez capitalised on the elder brother, Bastianini the one to follow this time around as he made his way to fifth, and with his pace heating up he looked far from done.
The rookie took fourth from the eighth-time world champion moments later after a move at turn eight, the gap now over three-seconds to the Yamaha ahead as he set his sights on the podium, from 12th on the grid.
Rins continued his own progression as he too advanced on the Aprilia to sixth, Mir seemingly unable to follow as he struggled back in ninth.
Miller began to reel in the leading Desmosedici as lap seven unfolded, Bagnaia responding with mid-32 pace as the timing screens lit Ducati red up top. The Australian running wide at turn 13 as he attempting to chase him down and opening the gap back up to almost three-seconds.
Quartararo was the man on fire as lap 12 played out, the M1 just two-tenths off the back of Miller and the sole owner of medium rear rubber in the top five.
Michele Pirro circulated in 10th on the test Ducati at mid-race distance, Takaaki Nakagami and Brad Binder behind with Zarco heading Maverick Viñales and iker Lecuona in the final points positions.
The podium battle fired up as Quartararo finally made his move, getting the better of Miller for second and with a 2.7s gap now ahead, as Rins capitalised on Marquez for fourth shortly after. Lecuona crashing out at turn four next time around.
The local excitement increased as Bastianini continued to shine, the Italian halving the gap to third with the fastest lap of the race and 10 to go as Rins became the next faller, at turn one.
Miller looked to be in trouble as the gap hit two-tenths, the Avintia rider setting his third ‘new best lap’ in succession before claiming the spoils at turn 13. Quartararo finding his own burst of pace as he began the fightback for victory.
The championship leader was shaving tenths off the leader in every sector before Bagnaia looked to regroup, the gap stabilising at 1.5s with six lap left to run. Bastianini running his own impressive pace as he sat 2.5s adrift.
Mir was up to seventh with five to go, an Espargaro on either side with Marquez one place ahead as Binder too progressed to ninth. Valentino Rossi heading a trio of struggling Yamaha’s from the back of the grid, in 17th, as Franky Morbidelli and Andrea Dovizioso circulated in 19th and 21st respectively.
The battle was on as the race counted down, three-tenths now the gap between the leading pair as the penultimate lap played out. The action was inseparable throughout the final lap, multiple chances falling short as the closing sector came into view, but Bagnaia had it covered in the dying seconds for his second, back-to-back and all-important home win on front of his Misano fans.
Quartararo’s incredible comeback gifted the title leader second, from a sensation showing by Bastianini for his debut MotoGP podium. Miller losing two positions on the final lap before recovering one, as Mir was penalised for track limits after the flag. Marquez completed the race in fourth, from the Australian and sole remaining Suzuki with the Espargaro brothers sitting seventh and eighth as Pol won out in the sibling stakes.
Binder completed the Adriatic adventure in ninth ahead of Nakagami, Pirro and Zarco with Viñales, Stefan Bradl and Alex Marquez completing the points. Danilo Petrucci, Rossi, Morbidelli, Luca Marini, Miguel Oliveira and Dovizioso the remaining finishers.
