The 2022 MotoGP championship chase was once again thrown into chaos when former series leader Fabio Qartararo(Yamaha), made a braking mistake on lap four at Phillip Island. This set off a series of events that saw him lose the points. The new point leader Francesco Bagnaia finished third, 0.224 seconds down on surprise winner Alex Rins(Suzuki), with still-recovering Marc Marquez from Honda in second.
These are the new standings:
| Bagnaia | Ducati | 233 |
| Quartararo | Yamaha | 219 |
| Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 206 |
| Bastianini | Ducati | 191 |
| Miller | Ducati | 179 |
Multiple explanations were offered by riders who described it as a slow race. Carlo Pernat was a MotoGP archdeacon who made a mysterious comment about Honda’s premier rider. He said that he would be “a Marquez without something less because others have improved.” This is a common view that has been repeated before.
Giacomo Agostini is an eminence grise who has been a champion of the sport since the 1960s and ’70s 15 GP world championships. He deplores the idea of so many equal competitors. He says that it will take more than the flutterings and glories of many equals to hold the public’s attention. No one can be called a hero.