MotoGP hero Pecco Bagnaia took a stunning victory in the British GP at Silverstone at the weekend, the Italian rider scoring Ducati’s 200th podium in MotoGP.
Starting with the fifth fastest time, Bagnaia rode an impeccable race, building his comeback lap after lap without letting the front run away.
Third, after Frenchman Fabio Quartararo’s mandatory long lap penalty (for an infringement at the previous GP), Bagnaia passed first Ducati team-mate Jack Miller and then Suzuki’s Alex Rins, taking the lead towards the middle of the race and staying there until the end.
With his eighth MotoGP win at the weekend, Bagnaia moves up to third place in the overall standings, 27 points behind Spain’s Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) and 49 points behind series leader and defending world champion Quartararo (Yamaha).
To make the day even more special for the Ducati Lenovo Team, Miller took the third step of the podium after an excellent performance that saw him fight for the top spot in the early stages of the race.
After the British Grand Prix, the Australian rider also regained a position in the Championship, which now sees him sixth with 107 points. Ducati consolidates its lead in the constructors’ standings with a 91-point advantage over Yamaha.
At the same time, the Ducati Lenovo Team is now second in the Teams’ standings, just two points behind the leader.
“I didn’t expect to win today. Until yesterday I would have been happy with a top-five result,” said Bagnaia.
“We decided to race with a medium-front tyre because we weren’t sure if the soft could hold up to the end, and at first, I wasn’t happy with that decision.
“In the race, though, it turned out to be the right choice because, in the end, it allowed me to be fast still even though the rear tyre was worn. I want to thank my team because I was struggling a lot, and thanks to their support, I was able to win this, which is one of the best of my career.”
Photo courtesy Ducati
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RIDER STANDINGS (after round 12 of 20):
| Position | Entrant | Wins | Points |
| 1 | Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (M1 Factory) | 3 | 180.00 |
| 2 | Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 1 | 158.00 |
| 3 | Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 4 | 131.00 |
| 4 | Enea Bastianini Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 3 | 118.00 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 114.00 | |
| 6 | Jack Miller Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 107.00 | |
| 7 | Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 98.00 | |
| 8 | Alex Rins Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 84.00 | |
| 9 | Maverick Vinales Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 82.00 | |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 1 | 81.00 |
| 11 | Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 81.00 | |
| 12 | Joan Mir Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 77.00 | |
| 13 | Marco Bezzecchi (R) Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21) | 61.00 | |
| 14 | Marc Marquez Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 60.00 | |
| 15 | Luca Marini Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 56.00 | |
| 16 | Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda Idemitsu (RC213V) | 45.00 | |
| 17 | Pol Espargaro Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 42.00 | |
| 18 | Alex Marquez LCR Honda Castrol (RC213V) | 27.00 | |
| 19 | Franco Morbidelli Monster Yamaha (M1 Factory) | 26.00 | |
| 20 | Fabio di Giannantonio (R) Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 18.00 | |
| 21 | Andrea Dovizioso WithU RNF Yamaha (M1 Factory) | 10.00 | |
| 22 | Darryn Binder (R) WithU RNF Yamaha (M1 A-Spec) | 10.00 | |
| 23 | Remy Gardner (R) Tech3 KTM (RC16) | 9.00 | |
| 24 | Raul Fernandez (R) Tech3 KTM (RC16) | 5.00 | |