MotoGP Valencia: Rins wins as Bagnaia claims the crown

Alex Rins celebrated the final victory of 2022 as Suzuki Ecstar bowed out of the MotoGP Championship on top of the Valencia podium.

Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder and pole man Jorge Martin joined the Spaniard for Sunday’s Parc Fermé celebrations with outgoing champion Fabio Quartararo completing the race in fourth.

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia became the first Italian premier class champion since Valentino Rossi in 2009 and the first for the Bologna factory in 15 years, since Casey Stoner two years before. Ninth position enough to secure the spoils after a rollercoaster season comprising five DNF’s, five pole positions, seven victories and ten podiums with Ducati claiming the triple crown of rider, team and manufacturer titles.

Just three riders deviated from the majority on tyre choice as the final MotoGP race of 2022 prepared. LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Marquez and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro opting for soft rear Michelins with the remainder on medium, and the entirety utilising the hard front. Espargaro later changing his mind on the grid to go with the majority.

Prima Pramac’s Martin commanded the last pole position of the season as he headed Marc Marquez and Jack Miller on the front row. Title challengers Quartararo and Bagnaia lining up fourth and eighth respectively with nothing shy of a win - and a near no-score for the Italian - allowing the Frenchman to retain his current status as premier class champion.

Lights out for 27 laps in front of a sell out crowd and it was Rins who took control from Martin and Miller. Quartararo and Bagnaia battling it out in the middle of the leading group with the pair coming out in sixth and seventh through the opening turns. The Yamaha was through on Miller for fourth as Marquez