2021 Emilia Romagna MotoGP, Misano - Full Race Results

Fabio Quartararo is the 2021 MotoGP champion! Race results from the Emilia Romagna MotoGP at Misano, round 16 of 18 in the 2021 world championship.
Francesco Bagnaia, Emilia-Romagna MotoGP race, 24 October 2021
Francesco Bagnaia, Emilia-Romagna MotoGP race, 24 October 2021
© Gold and Goose

Fabio Quartararo has been crowned the 2021 MotoGP world champion after rival Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the Misano lead with just four laps to go.

Bagnaia was on course to keep the title fight alive until the penultimate Portimao round as he held off the race-long challenge of Marc Marquez, but lost the front of the Desmosedici into Turn 15.

That was the same corner that caught Jack Miller out earlier in the race, the Ducati team-mates being the only riders to have chosen the hard front tyre...

Meanwhile, world championship leader Quartararo charged from 15th to fourth - only losing third to Enea Bastianini with a few corners to go - after fighting his way up from 15th on the grid.

The Frenchman's first ever world title is also the first MotoGP world championship for Yamaha since Jorge Lorenzo in 2015.

Bagnaia, Miller and Marc Marquez broke away to form an early lead group, Miller acting as an effective buffer between team-mate Bagnaia and the charging Marquez until the Australian crashed out of second place.

That left Bagnaia under pressure from Marquez, in a repeat of their Aragon contest, while the other Repsol Honda of Pol Espargaro moved into the final podium place.

Bagnaia had prevailed over Marquez at Aragon, despite the circuit being one of Marquez's favoured anti-clockwise circuits. This time Marquez was chasing his first 'clockwise' podium, let alone victory, since last year's right arm injuries.

The pair remained inseparable until five laps to go when Bagnaia's pace looked like it began to wear down Marquez. But then came the Turn 15 mistake, perhaps due to a drop in temperature, which handed Quartararo the title and Repsol Honda a shock one-two!

Quartararo came into the race holding a 52-point lead over Bagnaia, and needed to ffectively beat the Ducati rider to be champion today, a formidable task after the Frenchman suffered a career-worst 15th in the damp qualifying session while Bagnaia took pole position.

While Bagnaia then got the holeshot, Quartararo dropped as low as 17th on the opening lap before starting a charge that would take him all the way to third place, before the late pass by Enea Bastianini, who completed the podium for the second time in as many Misano rounds.

The race was the first fully-dry session of the weekend, meaning more question marks than usual over bike set-up. Quartararo and Bagnaia both chose the medium rear tyre, but Bagnaia the hard front and Quartararo (like most riders) the medium.

Starting from his first MotoGP front row, on a special bright yellow 'Grazie Vale!' VR46 livery in tribute to brother Valentino Rossi's final home appearance, rookie Luca Marini rode to ninth. Lining up in last place, Rossi himself climbed to 10th before an emotional slowdown lap in front of the yellow-packed grandstands, filled with a Covid-capped 35,000 fans.

KTM's Brad Binder crashed on the way to the grid and had to start from pit lane, then later got a long lap penalty for track limits, while team-mate Miguel Oliveira slotted into an early second behind Bagnaia and looked on course for a podium until a late exit.

Joan Mir was given a jump start penalty but before he could serve it the Suzuki rider took himself and Danilo Petrucci out of the race, the Tech3 rider embracing the apologetic Mir despite being wiped out of his final home Italian appearance.

Iker Lecuona, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Miguel Oliveira and then Bagnaia joined them on the DNF list.

Aprilia wild-card Lorenzo Savadori was ruled of the remainder of the event, and a planned Portimao wild-card, after fracturing his collarbone in FP3.

Emilia Romagna MotoGP, Misano - Race Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/Diff
1Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)41m 52.83s
2Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+4.859s
3Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+12.013s
4Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+12.775s
5Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+16.458s
6Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+17.669s
7Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+18.468s
8Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+18.607s
9Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+25.417s
10Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+27.735s
11Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+27.879s
12Michele PirroITADucati Team (GP21)+28.137s
13Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+41.413s
14Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+42.830s
15Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+22.462s
 Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)DNF
 Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)DNF
 Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*DNF
 Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)DNF
 Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)DNF
 Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)DNF
 Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)DNF
 Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)DNF

* Rookie

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