Francesco Bagnaia Triumphs in Wet Conditions at the Grand Prix of Thailand

Photo: Ducati Lenovo Team

27. 10. 2024 11:20 CET
4 min

Francesco Bagnaia Triumphs in Wet Conditions at the Grand Prix of Thailand

Eliška Ryšánková
News.GP journalist who’s all about the thrilling worlds of MotoGP and Formula 1.

MotoGP motogpsunday motogpthailand reports

Francesco Bagnaia claimed a crucial victory at the Grand Prix of Thailand, showcasing remarkable skill and resilience on a rain-soaked track. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider outpaced Jorge Martin, closing the championship gap to just 17 points. As the season nears its thrilling conclusion, Bagnaia and Martin remain the only contenders for the 2024 MotoGP title.

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Francesco Bagnaia grabbed victory at the Grand Prix of Thailand, showcasing skill and control on a wet track. Bagnaia fought hard in the opening laps before taking the lead to win with a two-second gap. The reigning champion outperformed Jorge Martin, who finished the race in second, tightening the championship gap to 17 points. Martin’s second place meant he conceded only five points on Sunday, leaving just two competitors in the hunt for the championship title. Pedro Acosta rounded off the podium after a determined performance in the final stages.

Drama struck before the race even started, as a wet track caused Alex Marquez to crash on his warm-up lap. As the race began, Martin launched into the lead, storming into Turn 1. The two title rivals soon engaged in a battle, with Martin initially taking the lead at Turn 4. Martin then stretched his lead to nearly half a second, leaving Bagnaia to respond. Despite this, Bagnaia found his rhythm, closed the gap on Martin, and extended his lead to over a second with impressive pace.

Enea Bastianini had a tough start, dropping out of the top 10 early on from P2. However, he climbed back into contention, securing P7 after a solid recovery. Marco Bezzecchi had an early exit after crashing at Turn 1, followed shortly by a collision between Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, resulting in a Long Lap penalty for Morbidelli.

On Lap 5, Martin’s mistake dropped him to third, right behind Marc Marquez. This opened up a golden opportunity for Bagnaia to gain on Martin’s championship lead. Meanwhile, Morbidelli’s race worsened when he crashed out at Turn 8, followed by Bastianini’s slip at the same corner on Lap 9, ending his race.

Marc Marquez made a charge for victory, attempting to overtake at the final corner with Martin close behind. Marquez’s aggression continued through Lap 13, but he couldn’t secure the lead and ultimately made a mistake, crashing out at Turn 8 on Lap 14. This promoted Martin to second without any further challenge and ended Marquez’s title chances.

As the race neared its end, Bagnaia held a strong two-second lead over Martin, while Acosta overtook Jack Miller. Bagnaia claimed victory on the final lap, with Martin securing 20 points in second and Acosta finishing in third. Fabio Di Giannantonio narrowly beat Miller to finish in fourth. Miller finished in fifth, ahead of Brad Binder and Maverick Viñales. Johann Zarco completed the top eight, with Aleix Espargaro and Alex Marquez rounding out the top ten.

Marc Marquez recovered from his crash to take 11th, securing valuable points over Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami, Bastianini, and Joan Mir.

With only two rounds left in the 2024 season, the showdown between Bagnaia and Martin is more intense than ever. The action now moves to the final race of the triple-header at the iconic Malaysian Grand Prix.

2024 MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand

1 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati  
2 Jorge Martin Ducati +2.905
3 Pedro Acosta KTM +3.800
4 Fabio Di Giannantonio Ducati +4.836
5 Jack Miller KTM +5.532
6 Brad Bidner KTM +5.898
7 Maverick Viñales Aprilia +8.498
8 Johann Zarco Honda +17.672
9 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia +18.588
10 Alex Marquez Ducati +21.163
11 Luca Marini Honda +22.251
12 Marc Marquez Ducati +22.859
13 Takaaki Nakagami Honda +24.531
14 Enea Bastianini Ducati +27.090
15 Joan Mir Honda +30.870
16 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha +50.021
  Did not finish    
DNF  Augusto Fernandez Ducati -
DNF Alex Rins Yamaha   -
DNF Luca Savadori Aprilia -
DNF Franco Morbidelli Ducati -
DNF Raul Fernandez Aprilia -
DNF Marco Bezzecchi Ducati -

 

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