Emilia Romagna MotoGP Race Results | Marquez win, Bagnaia fall crowns Quartararo

Fabio Quartararo has been crowned the 2021 MotoGP World Champion after a dramatic late crash for main rival Pecco Bagnaia gifted him the title, as well as victory in the Emilia Romagna MotoGP at Misano for Marc Marquez.

A race that turned on its head in the closing stages amid retirements and tyre issues for others, Bagnaia looked to be heading for a third win in four races, a result that would have kept the championship alive to the penultimate round in Portimao.

However, having repelled the advances of a typically feisty Marquez to begin pulling away from the Spaniard with five laps remaining, Bagnaia’s dreams would collapse with his folding Ducati at Turn 15.

An unexpected incident in what had been a flawless performance up to that point, his retirement meant Quartararo was automatically crowned champion regardless of where he finished.

To his credit, the Frenchman delivered an exceptional ride through the pack to fourth despite circulating as a low as 17th following a poor getaway from 15th on the grid, the lowly starting position dictated by the tricky mixed conditions of Saturday’s qualifying.

However, having looked to be on course for some damage limitation having ascended to fifth place, Quartararo was lifted to fourth by virtue of Miguel Oliveira retiring ahead just prior to Bagnaia then crashing out of the lead to seal the deal.

A disaster for the Ducati factory team, Bagnaia’s crash was mirrored at the same turn by team-mate Jack Miller, who crashed out of second position on lap three. It means Yamaha has snatched the initiative in the Teams’, even if Ducati's hopes in the Manufacturers' were upheld unexpectedly by Enea Bastianini coming home in third place [more below].

With all eyes on Quartararo, there was delight for Repsol Honda as Marquez came home for his second consecutive win - his third of the season - with Pol Espargaro producing a brilliant performance in second for Honda’s first double podium since Valencia 2017 and its first 1-2 since Aragon 2017.

While Quartararo entered the final lap in third position, the distraction of his achievement allowed an mesmerising Bastianini through for an incredible second podium of the year, matching his maiden run to the rostrum at Misano last month.

Hailed then for his efforts on the two-year old Avintia Ducati, this performance - though aided by two late retirements - was arguably more impressive, the Italian having started 18th and circulating outside the points during the early laps before coming on strong in the latter laps, before then overtaking Quartararo on the last revolution to ensure Ducati as a manufacturer outscored Yamaha.

With fading tyres and crashes changing the make up of the race right down to the flag, Johann Zarco picked his way through to fifth position, as sixth place Alex Rins and seventh place Aleix Espargaro slipped back in the final laps, while Maverick Vinales scored his first top ten finish for Aprilia with a steely ride to eighth.

Luca Marini ran strongly with the chasing pack from third on the grid before dropping back to ninth, only his second top ten result in MotoGP but one that will feel disappointing given the slide coincided with team-mate Bastianini surging in the other direction to the podium.

Behind him, there was some joy for Marini’s brother Valentino Rossi too, who was able to squeeze in a top ten finish in his final MotoGP race on Italian soil having started 23rd and last.

Brad Binder did a fine job to recover to 11th having started from the pit lane for falling on the sighting lap before being forced to serve a double long lap penalty for track limits.

With only 15 riders reaching the flag, Michele Pirro and Andrea Dovizioso were 12th and 13th, with the unfit Franco Morbidelli plummeting to 14th having run fifth early on. Takaaki Nakagami was 15th for a point after picking his Honda up from a crash.

As well as Bagnaia, Oliveira could have finished on the podium but for his late exit in what was otherwise a return to form for the Portuguese rider, while Jorge Martin and Iker Lecuona crashed out.

Outgoing champion Joan Mir, meanwhile, retired on lap two after tangling with Danilo Petrucci to put both out of the race.