(Motorsports news) Enea Bastianini took his second win of the 2022 MotoGP season in a thrilling Americas Grand Prix and he took the championship lead in the process. The Italian rider passed the leader Jack Miller late on to take his second win of the season and his first podium in America. He subsequently became MotoGP’s first repeat winner in 2022 and took a five-point lead in the championship. Miller took the lead early on from poleman Jorge Martin off the line, but Bastianini stuck behind him and steadily chipped away at the Australian’s lead before passing him on lap 16.

Suzuki’s Alex Rins did a brilliant job on the final stint and pulled off a last-lap move on Miller into the penultimate corner to snatch second and he also moved into second in the standings. His team-mate Joan Mir was just 1.6s away from third and finished 4th as Bagnaia could only manage fifth having started from the front row. Marquez had a disastrous start but then made a brilliant recovery to sixth at the chequered flag in a sublime charge through the field from last place. In the final few laps two world champions Marquez and Quartararo were engaged in an immense battle which is reminiscent of their 2019 race fights as when Marquez had a moment rounding Turn 6 and almost touched Quartararo.

Marquez eventually won the battle and finished sixth, as the Frenchman tried to fight back when they almost touched on lap 19.  Quartararo went out wide into Turn 7, which allowed Marquez to come back through to take sixth. Martin faded to a disappointing eighth in the end ahead of Zarco, while Maverick Vinales took top Aprilia honours from team-mate Aleix Espargaro in 10th late on.

American favourite Cameron Beaubier secured his first Moto2 grand prix pole in front of his home fans, but suffered a disastrous start as others jumped him off the line at the start by several riders. Tony Arbolino won his first Moto 2 race as Ai Ouga and Jake Dixon got their first podium in Moto 2 as well. In the Moto3 battle, Ajo KTM’s Jaume Masia won his race of the season after he beat Leopard’s Dennis Foggia on the last lap as Valentino Rossi protégé Andrea Migno, finished third. Foggia leads the standings after four races from Aspar’s Sergio Garcia, who retired from the COTA race, while Migno holds a 33 points lead over Foggia.

Also read: MotoGP: Miguel Oliveira wins rain soaked Indonesian Grand Prix