Francesco Bagnaia clinches back-to-back MotoGP titles with Valencia triumph

Italy's Francesco Bagnaia sealed a sensational year defending his MotoGP world title and capping it off with a victory in the season-ending race in Valencia on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Ducati rider had already secured the championship when his only contender, Jorge Martin, crashed early in the race. The dramatic incident unfolded when Martin's Ducati-Pramac clipped Marc Marquez's Honda, resulting in both riders tumbling off their bikes.

Unaware of his rival's misfortune, Bagnaia was leading the race on his Ducati, riding a flawless performance. Martin, who had surged from sixth on the grid to challenge Bagnaia, suffered a setback on the second lap when his bike clipped Bagnaia's, dropping him to eighth place. Despite avoiding a major disaster initially, Martin couldn't escape a second mishap, handing the championship to Bagnaia.

As Martin walked off the track in frustration, six-time champion Marquez limped away from the crash in his final race for Honda. Martin returned to the pitlane, where he burst into tears and was comforted by his team members.

Although Martin's sprint race victory the previous day had narrowed the gap to just 14 points, Bagnaia's perfect race sealed the title on the final day. Bagnaia regained the lead after Jack Miller's spectacular crash and successfully fended off a challenge from last week's Qatar winner, Fabio Di Giannantonio.

After crossing the finish line, Bagnaia delightedly punched the air. Upon dismounting his bike, he added a touch of flair to his victory celebration, slam dunking a basketball and adorning his fingers with three gold rings.