• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) wins the penultimate race of MotoGP™ 2022
• Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) breaks the Sepang circuit record with the very first lap in 1min57s and breaks the race lap record
• New record for race duration in 40min14s332
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) withstood pressure to win the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoGP™ season, the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, at Sepang. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) crossed the finish line in second place ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) third.
During Qualifying 2 (Q2) on Saturday, Prima Pramac Racing driver Jorge Martín broke the circuit record in 1min57, more than half a second faster than the previous benchmark.
The tire choices for the race were the MICHELIN Power Slicks Medium front and Soft rear. This combination offered the best performance for all riders with the grip and stability of the Medium front and the revving and very high level of grip of the Soft rear. These tires allowed Martín to also beat the race lap record in 1min59s634 during the 2e lap, and led to a new race duration record of 40min14s332.
The dry conditions on Friday for Free Practice 1 (FP1) allowed the drivers to test the different MICHELIN Power Slick options. Due to uncertain weather and the possibility of yellow flags, some drivers put on new tires to attack at the end of the session. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) mounted front and rear Mediums to set the best time in 1min59 – a time faster by almost 479/2e than the lap record. Heavy rain in the afternoon delayed the start of Free Practice 2 and allowed drivers to work on rain set-ups.
Rain was forecast for Saturday afternoon, so Free Practice 3 gave drivers outside the top-10 the opportunity to attack and hope to qualify for Q2. This unstable weather led some riders to put on the Soft rear to refine their settings and go on the attack. The rain appeared at the end of the session, but not enough to fit the wet tires. In the final minutes, Martin set the best lap in 1min58 in Medium Front and Soft Rear. Qualifying was finally dry and the high track temperatures allowed Martín to beat the absolute circuit record.
At the end of the race, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager, said: “ Conditions were typical of Sepang this weekend, with dry mornings and rain in the afternoons. This allowed the drivers to review our entire tire allocation. But even in the dry, the conditions were not very good on Friday morning with the track still “green”, which made the work of the drivers difficult. Despite these difficulties, Jorge Martin beat the lap record by more than half a second, which clearly proves the potential of our tires. »
« Despite the uncertainties regarding the weather, the track remained dry and relatively cool for the race, and the performance of our tires in these conditions was very good with consistent times, a new race lap record and race duration. This consistent performance has helped deliver an exciting new 2022 Grand Prix and the title race is extended to the final round in Valencia, which is good news for all fans. »
