Photo: Ducati Lenovo Team
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.
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.
🚦 GAME ON IN BURIRAM 🚦@88jorgemartin will the launch of his life! And @FabioQ20 too!!! 🔥#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/rGU1FMxBWU
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 27, 2024
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.
That one's going to be under investigation! @FrankyMorbido12 takes out @FabioQ20! 💥#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/ZZ6hYlh8pg
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 27, 2024
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.
Franky's race is over! 💥#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/o6p3k5yFFu
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 27, 2024
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.
😱 @MARCMARQUEZ93 COULDN'T SAVE IT!
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 27, 2024
Just as he was pressuring for the win, it oomes crashing down! 💥#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/4anUYrvFFC
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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