VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P53
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
L
ots of riders have won a
MotoGP World Champion-
ship title, but only a few
have won back-to-back crowns
and none have done it on a
Ducati. Francesco Bagnaia
(Lenovo Ducati) is now part
of that illustrious club after
delivering a champion's ride on
Sunday to win the 2023 Valen
-
cian MotoGP, his title assured
at one-third race distance when
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac
Racing) went out in a blaze of
broken carbon-fiber after tan
-
gling with Marc Marquez.
Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools
SpeedUp) made it four wins in
a row in the Moto2 category
and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly
Husqvarna Intact GP) ended his
Moto3 career in the best possible
style by finally taking a victory.
MotoGP
Sprint Race
Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Rac-
ing) qualified on pole for the
final Sprint Race of the year, but
it was Bagnaia was ripped clear
into P1. Vinales barged past the
reigning World Champion into
turn two with Martin ready to
pounce at any moment. Marc
Marquez (Repsol Honda) and
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Fac
-
tory Racing) rounded out the
early top five.
Lap two was a horror show for
Bagnaia as first Binder got by,
then Martin and Marquez, drop
-
ping him from second to fifth, the
lowest possible place he could
finish if Martin won both the
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA
IS THE 2023 MOTOGP
WORLD CHAMPION
AFTER A TENSE FINAL
ROUND IN VALENCIA
THAT SAW HIS PRIMARY
RIVAL JORGE MARTIN
END THE YEAR IN THE
GRAVEL TRAP
