Quartararo delays the wing of Bagnaia, who wins a tense Malaysian GP

Between the clouds and the tropical heat on the asphalt of Sepang, the tension could be chewed in a nerve management race with the title at stake.

Pecco Bagnaia managed to win the Malaysian GP, ​​his seventh victory of the course, and fulfilled his part, but so did the defending champion, a laudable Fabio Quartararo.

The Frenchman finished on the podium to avoid the Ducati strut spoiler, which needs only two points in the Valencia GP to become world champion and cut a 15-year drought for the Borgo Panigale factory and 13 years for the riders Italians in MotoGP.

There was tension in the Bologna garage, with the team's heavyweights discussing Enea Bastianini's aggressiveness on her satellite mount.

Pecco's future partner in the factory team overtook the title candidate on the eleventh lap and seemed to ignore the importance of his compatriot's result.

“I did my career, but I didn't see myself with enough rhythm”, assured Beast afterwards, that he is one of the few Italians who has not passed through the academy of Valentino Rossi, an outsider.

He did not seem to have any team order in mind and even the mild-mannered Gigi Dall'Igna, general manager of the brand, was pondering what to do to avoid the drama, running around the pit-lane and arguing with Paolo Ciabatti and Davide Tardozzi, his advisers closer, prey to nerves.

The guy kept the benchmark of the championship and with cold blood he returned the play three laps later, rolling with solvency to stay first until crossing the finish line, with the Riminese second.

“I have gone to the top, I have hurried to the maximum to win.

I knew it was very important”, commented Bagnaia, aware that Quartararo was not far away and was going to play his hand until the end.

Behind, Marco Bezzecchi, pupil of the VR46 Academy, tried to push hard from fourth position to try to help his friend overtaking the Frenchman.

The reigning champion gritted his teeth -who also competed with a small but painful fracture in a finger on his left hand- and carried his Yamaha through the pack of Ducatis, finding another gear when the satellite Desmosedici was already on his neck .

Jorge Martín's crash, pole position on Saturday and a whirlwind in the initial section of the race benefited him more than Pecco until he lost the bike when he was in the lead.

At the start, both contenders complied by masterfully climbing positions.

The leader rose from ninth place to second, while the defending champion went from twelfth to fifth.

“I have made the best start of my life,

I have risked a bit there.

I couldn't follow Jorge, but he crashed and we had a great race thinking about the championship”, concluded Bagnaia.

For Ducati, Sepang is the twelfth victory of the course, an absolute record for the factory that has set the pace in MotoGP for several years.

He was not fine nor could he lift the Aprilia Aleix Espargaró, tenth in his 300th race in the World Championship and definitively ruled out for the title in Valencia.

It was only worth staying ahead of the leader, but already at the start it was clear that it was not going to be his day.

Alex Rins continued to be in good form and finished fifth on the Suzuki after winning the previous test in Australia.

Marc Márquez, who started third, kept his word and finished seventh, where he looked both physical and pace with a Honda that showed his weak points on the long Malaysian track.

Quartararo, who even received congratulations from those responsible for Ducati for putting up with the type, celebrated his third place as a victory and summoned the fans for the final fireworks in Valencia.

“In such a difficult moment we have had a very good race, I am very happy.

We endured the mystery until Valencia, and the truth is that I enjoyed it as if I had won”, said the Yamaha leader, who is only worth the victory in Cheste.

Anything can happen in MotoGP and the title, although everything is in the offing for Bagnaia, will be decided at the last round on November 6.

Augusto Fernández, again leader in Moto2

Also in Valencia, the World Championship of the intermediate category will be resolved after a race with a twist at the end.

A crash by Ai Ogura on the last lap allowed Augusto Fernández, a rider from Madrid trained in Mallorca, to regain the lead of the contest one race from the end.

The KTM rider, who will move up to MotoGP next year at the hands of GASGAS, was fourth and will arrive at the final appointment with a 9.5-point advantage over the Honda rider.

The test in Malaysia was won by Italian Tony Arbolino, one of Quartararo's best friends.

The races in Cheste, with the Moto3 title already decided in favor of Majorcan Izan Guevara, promise strong emotions until the last lap.

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