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2022 MotoGP Season
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Round 16
Mobility Resort Motegi
Motegi, Japan
Sunday, 25 September 2022
Francesco Bagnaia will be eyeing nothing but a victory when he competes in the
Japanese Grand Prix having never won the race before.
The Ducati rider endured a forgettable race in the last Japanese MotoGP event two years ago as he finished 13th having started 14th on the grid.
Bagnaia secured a podium spot at the most recent race in the 2022 season which was the Aragon MotoGP as he finished second on September 18.
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After an initial exchange of positions with Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia remained in first place until the last lap, when the former overtook him to win the race by just 42 thousandths.
It became Ducati rider Bastianini's fourth victory of the current campaign, while Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro finished third at the Aragon MotoGP.
Looking at the 2022 riders' standings, Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo, who was forced to retire at the Aragon MotoGP, is placed at the top of the table with Espargaro placed third.
Second-placed Bagnaia will climb to the top of the standings if he wins the Japanese MotoGP and Quartararo fails to secure a podium spot this weekend.
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"I'm thrilled with today's result. Enea and I had a great race! I knew he would be very fast in the final laps," Bagnaia said after the Aragon MotoGP.
"And when he passed me, I preferred not to make any move on him. I tried to win and waited for a safe opportunity to pass him, which in the end wasn't there.
"I knew these 20 points were important, and I preferred not to risk it. Now we must stay focused and think about the next race in Japan next week."
Ducati are placed at the top of the Constructors' championship standings and they are followed by Aprilia and Yamaha respectively.
2019 Japanese MotoGP results
Winner: Marc Marquez - Honda
Runner-Up: Fabio Quartararo - Yamaha
Third-Place: Andre Dovizioso - Ducati
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