The 2022 MotoGP world championship was billed as ‘The Decider’ - but Pecco Bagnaia ensured there was little to worry about as he became the first Italian world champion since the iconic Valentino Rossi.
Bagnaia held a 23-point lead over 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo heading into the season finale in Valencia, and the 25-year-old clinched the title with a ninth-placed finish on Sunday. In doing so, he became the first riders’ champion aboard an iconic red Ducati since Casey Stoner back in 2007.
Over the campaign, Bagnaia recorded seven wins and overcame a stunning deficit of 91 points - the largest comeback in MotoGP championship history. His Riders’ title meant Ducati secured the coveted Triple Crown of Constructors’, Teams’ and Riders’ titles.
