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It was a stunning victory: Bagnaia  The Ducati rider was leading the race when it was red-flagged even as the team clinched the constructors' title
Vivek Phadnis
DH Web Desk
Last Updated IST
Francesco Bagnaia. Credit: AFP Photo
Francesco Bagnaia. Credit: AFP Photo

Francesco Bagnaia took a stunning victory even as the race was Portugal MotoGP was red-flagged with the Ducati Lenovo Team rider leading the race on Sunday.

Ducati also won the constructors’ title. Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo has already won the riders’ title.

“I'm really happy. I would have liked to finish the race under the chequered flag and not under the red flag, but it was still a stunning victory. It was an incredible weekend, and I enjoyed every single session," said Bagnaia.

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“Right from the start, I felt incredibly comfortable. Everything was perfect, and I'm really happy for Ducati for winning the Constructors' Title. We deserved it once again! Congratulations to Jack for his third place on the podium. Now we'll go to Valencia where we'll try to finish this season with another great result," he added.

Ecstar Suzuki’s Joan Mir, the second-place finisher, said: “I didn’t have enough pace to win here, but I can’t complain! This has been the strongest weekend I’ve had for a long time – especially because I was fast from Friday morning onwards. I was able to fight hard, but Pecco did an incredible race without any mistakes. He had a bit of a margin compared to me, and I couldn’t do more than second.

“But nevertheless, I’m really pleased and I’m happy to give the team another podium. This also gives us hope for the future," he added.

Bagnaia’s teammate Jack Miller finished third and said: “It's nice to finally be back on the podium, even though it was a little strange to end the race with a red flag. I was ready for a big battle on the last lap with Alex Márquez, who was really close. But I'm thrilled: we have worked well all weekend, and in the last GP, we were able to be competitive in all sessions, just missing the result on Sunday.

“Finally, we were able to reap the benefits of our hard work. I'm happy Ducati won the manufacturer's title: we have a fantastic bike, perhaps the strongest on the grid. Now we go to Valencia and try to close out this season in the best possible way,” he added.

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(Published 08 November 2021, 13:50 IST)