Bagnaia crowned MotoGP champion as Brad Binder shines

Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia became the first Italian in 13 years to win the MotoGP title at the season finale in Valencia on Sunday.

Bagnaia, who only had to finish in 14th place to secure his maiden premier class title, finished ninth to end the season on 265 points, 17 points ahead of Fabio Quartararo.

Quartararo, the 2021 champion who had to win the race and hope Bagnaia finishes lower than 14th to retain his MotoGP title, put up a brave fight, but finished in fourth place to move up to 248th.

“It is really a great day. It was the greatest race of my life,” the 25-year-old Bagnaia, known as “Pecco”, said during a television interview after the race.

“My mission was to be in the top five, but after two or three laps I started to struggle with the front of the bike and it was impossible to control. But the most important thing is that we won and we are the world champions.”

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Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder, who started the race from seventh on the grid, stormed through the field to earn his third runner-up finish of the season behind race winner Alex Rins.

The 20 points Binder earned for his second place moves him up to 188 points in the world title race, finishing in sixth place and only one point behind Jack Miller

Miller, Binder’s KTM team-mate in 2023, was in third place when he crashed out in Valencia. The Australian completed the top five in the MotoGP title race behind Bagnaia, Quartararo, Enea Bastianini and Aleix Espargaro.

It is Binder’s second consecutive sixth place finish in the championship, after finishing his maiden MotoGP season in 11th place in 2020 to be crowned the rookie of the season.

Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder crashed out in his final MotoGP race on his RNF Yamaha before moving to Moto2 in 2023.

The last Italian to win the MotoGP title was Valentino Rossi, who won the last of his seven premier class in 2009.

And the last Italian to win the crown on an Italian motorcycle was Giacomo Agostini on an MV Agusta, all of 50 years ago, in 1972.

The last time Ducati produced the premier class world champion was in 2007, when Australian Casy Stoner wo the first of his two titles.

Visit the MotoGP website to see the final 2022 title race standings.