BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
A
s MotoGP settled into
its second race of the
European season at
Jerez, it was the first time since
the Covid-19 pandemic the
legendary Spanish crowd was
allowed in full force and Fran-
cesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (Lenovo
Ducati) reminded them all just
why he was the preseason title
favorite with a superb win while
under the constant pressure
from Fabio Quartararo (Monster
Energy Yamaha).
Bagnaia fired the first warn-
ing shot in qualifying, smashing
the lap record to land on pole by
0.453 seconds—an absolutely
mammoth margin in the current
MotoGP climate where pole is
often decided in thousands of a
second, not nearly half a sec-
ond.
He bested his Yamaha rival
Quartararo and Aprilia's form
man Aleix Espargaro who, once
again, showed the progress of
the Noale factory in third.
When the lights went out for
the 25-lap showdown, it was
Bagnaia who got the jump, out-
dragging Quartararo into turn
one. It was a shocking start for
Aleix Espargaro, who slumped to
seventh off the lights and almost
tangled with Marc Marquez
(Repsol Honda) as he dive-
bombed his compatriot under
brakes at the first corner.
Within one lap the front two
were already beginning to edge
away from Jack Miller (Lenovo
Ducati), and the Australian en-
gaged in what must have been
an exhausting race-long battle
with Marquez and Espargaro,
leading the two Spaniards for
close to the entire race until Mar-
quez finally made a pass stick
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 18 MAY 3, 2022 P89
Pecco Bagnaia
finally delivered the
kind of performance
that was expected
of him all year for
an inch-perfect
win at Jerez under
incredible pressure
Francesco Bagnaia's
much-needed win
was very similar to
his maiden victory
against Marc Marquez
at Aragon last year.
Is this the start of his
title charge?
IMPECCABLE
