MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 17 / NOVEMBER 2-4, 2018
SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
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had closed up, with Andrea
Locatelli (Italtrans Kalex) get-
ting ahead of Jorge Navarro
(Federal Oils Kalex) at two-thirds
distance; Dominique Aegerter
(Kiefer KTM) with them to the
end. Sam Lowes (SII KTM)
outpaced Simone Corsi for the
final point.
American Joe Roberts (RW
NTS) was 18th.
The top three in the cham-
pionship are now set: Bagnaia
304, Oliveira 272, Binder 201.
Fourth is close, however, be-
Lorenzo Baldassari and Augusto
Fernandez, the latter eventu-
ally stretchered off after a fall.
Finally, Quartararo took fifth on
the last lap from Baldassari, with
Marquez sixth.
A couple of seconds behind,
second Red Bull KTM rider Brad
Binder held off Marcel Schrotter
(Dynavolt Exactweld Kalex); and
behind them Joan Mir (EG-VDS
Kalex) won a long fight for 10th
from second Dynavolt rider Xavi
Vierge.
By the finish the next group
the front men for four laps, los-
ing fourth to veteran Mattia Pa-
sini (Italtrans Kalex) on lap four.
Then Marquez, also regaining
places, passed him before final
the hairpin, pushing the Austra-
lian wide and off the grippy line,
where he slipped off at the final
hairpin.
With Marquez never in conten-
tion, the front four were on their
own. Oliveira did close up to
within a few tenths of the leader,
but Marini withstood the pres-
sure; Pasini also got close to
Bagnaia, but didn't challenge.
Marini looked fresher than he
doubtless felt in the heat. "It was
really, really hard, but when you
are leading it is a bit easier," he
said.
Teammate Bagnaia was close
to speechless with emotion,
giving tribute to Marini and all his
team. "This season is together.
Together we win, together we
lose. And together we are World
Champion."
Oliveira was gracious, warmly
congratulating Bagnaia. "Pecco
had been really strong. I am
proud of my riding, proud of my
season; we have been really
constant. Our package wasn't
enough to beat Pecco, but it
was a championship full of emo-
tion."
The action was behind them,
with Marquez dropping back
towards the end as Quartararo
was recovering ground. The
hard-riding Frenchman was get-
ting the best of a long battle with
Pons HP40 Kalex teammates
Valentino Rossi's
half brother Luca
Marini won Moto2
for the first time.
