FAB CROWNED AS BAGNAIA BOMBS OUT

PECCO BAGNAIA’S Motogp World Championship hopes ended in the gravel as he crashed out at Misano yesterday to hand Fabio Quartararo his first title.

Quartararo (above) was crowned 2021 champion when Bagnaia tucked the front of his Ducati Lenovo with four laps to go as Marc Marquez led a Repsol Honda one-two ahead of teammate Pol Espargaro.

And after powering through from 15th to fourth, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Quartararo crossed the line behind Avintia Ducati’s Enea Bastianini to become the first Frenchman to win a premier class title.

“I can not believe it, it’s an incredible feeling,” said Quartararo.

“I’m living a dream. I cry a lot and I scream a lot but it feels amazing.

“When I crossed the line I thought about all the tough moments I have had and to be World Champion in Motogp is something I never expected a few years ago, so right now I am feeling I am in a dream and I still don’t realise what is happening.”

Italy’s Bagnaia (above) – who had to win at his home round to keep his championship alive – took the lead from team-mate Jack Miller on the opening lap as Marquez shot through from seventh into third.

But Miller crashed on lap four and Marquez began to close in on Bagnaia as the leading pair broke free from Espargaro, who was running third.

On lap 24 of 27, Bagnaia’s crash ended his dream at the same spot which claimed Miller, handing

Marquez the lead.

Quartararo had now won the championship as he moved up to fourth, while Marquez went on to bank his second win in a row and crucially, his first on a right-hand track since his big crash in 2020.

“It’s the most important one of the year, winning in a right corner circuit,” said the eight-time world champ.

“These are the circuits I struggle on a lot and it’s the progress, the evolution and it’s something special.

“The pace was unreal in the race. Pecco was riding super-fast. It’s true I was putting pressure to him, but Pecco was the fastest rider on the track today.”