A 17th place that is a stain.
World championship leader Fabio Quartararo lost big in the Thai Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing far, far behind on a rainy afternoon that saw Italian rival Francesco Bagnaia close within two points of him, three races from the end.
In front, it was the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (KTM) who proved to be the most impervious to wet conditions, to win his second event of the season, after Indonesia in March, already on a wet track.
"I can't complain, I'm always fast in the wet," smiled the rider who will join Aprilia-RNF in 2023. He edged out Ducati's factory team duo, Jack Miller and Bagnaia.
The Italian resisted the return of Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) in the final laps to snatch valuable points in the title race.
Relegated to 18 points after Japan last weekend, where he retired due to a fall, "Pecco" is only two units behind "Quarta" who, more than ever, trembles on his throne .
A first round in the form of torture for "Quarta"
Before the start, however, the Nice, crowned in 2021 in front of the Italian, showed his relaxation in the paddock while big black clouds darkened the horizon.
Heavy showers eventually delayed the start of the race by 55 minutes, but these calmed down by the time the riders battled it out.
But Quartararo, who does not like wet tracks, watched it from afar: starting fourth, he found himself dropped to 17th place after a cataclysmic first lap.
The Niçois never managed to regain rhythm, stuck in the peloton.
He finished outside the top 15, synonymous with points, for the first time since the Aragon Grand Prix in 2020 (excluding retirements).
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