If the Ducati rider wins the Malaysian Grand Prix and Fabio Quartararo is off the podium, he will automatically be proclaimed world champion
Pecco Bagnaia plays with his fingertips make historyThe Italian is about to complete a 91-point comeback overall to claim his first top-flight title. Winning in Malaysia, the Ducati would have it almost done, but everything depends on his rival Fabio Quartararo.
The Asian layout he has two giant straights that favor his bike and he should be able to dominate the race from start to finish with his enormous top speed. Bagnaia has won six races this season being the great sensation of the second part of the season with a four win streak followed that Not even Casey Stoner himself had succeeded with Ducati.
In the Italian brand, the team orders are clear to favor the world title of a Bagnaia who will have a few escorts trying to keep his great enemy Fabio Quartararo off the podium. The Frenchman has seen how his wallet has been stolen at the head of the World Championship due to the poor performance of his Yamaha.
Bagnaia has finished in third position in the last two races and this position would be enough for him to be champion as long as Quartararo is outside the top-10. The calculator also shows us that we must have a third actor in the figure of Aleix Espargaró, who is third in the World Cup, 27 points behind the leader due to the 14 disadvantage of Quartararo.
Among the hypotheses, if Bagnaia finishes second, he needs Quartararo to finish seventh or worse and that Aleix Espargaró does not win the race. In the event that Bagnaia achieves fourth position, Quartararo should not go beyond fourteenth and Espargaró cannot sneak onto the podium to end up as champion.
The pressure is on a Bagnaia that does not want to reach the last race in Valencia without its homework done. It should also be noted that he should avoid some crashes that have made an appearance in five of the 18 races this season. A zero would be the only real option that Quartararo and Espargaró have options for the last round.
Judge Marc
In the middle of all this scenario of accounts appears a Marc Márquez who can be the final judge of the World Cup as it was in 2015 on this same track with Valentino Rossi’s famous kick. The man from Lleida achieved his best result in the previous race in Australia, reaching second position and wants more.
It is true that a track with many straights can be difficult for the Honda, but Marc’s talent and his desire not to end the season without winning a race weigh heavily on Bagnaia’s future. The Italian was already seen in Australia not risking even the slightest when Rins and Márquez overtook him on the last lap and we may find something similar here. Prepare the calculator because maybe we will have a new champion.