Marc Marquez triumphed in a thrilling MotoGP Misano Grand Prix, outshining Francesco Bagnaia, while Jorge Martin’s strategic miscalculation left him finishing a lap behind in 15th place.

At the start of the race, spots of rain began to fall on the circuit. The rain briefly intensified, creating a dramatic twist in the race.

Bagnaia redeemed himself for a poor start in Saturday’s sprint by leading into Turn 1 on the opening lap, ahead of Franco Morbidelli and Martin. However, Martin quickly passed Morbidelli, but he struggled to catch Bagnaia, who maintained the lead.

On lap seven, worsening conditions caused the pack to close up, allowing Marquez to move into podium contention. Martin, the only leader who switched to a wet bike at the end of lap seven, made a critical error as conditions rapidly improved. By lap nine, Martin was forced to pit again, rejoining the race in 15th place.

Bagnaia led into lap eight but was then overtaken by Marc Marquez, who extended his lead over the grid. Enea Bastianini briefly looked like a potential threat but finished behind Bagnaia. The podium was completed by Bastianini in third, Bagnaia in second, and Marquez as the winner.

This win marks Marquez’s first consecutive victory since 2021, narrowing his championship deficit to 53 points, while Bagnaia is now just seven points behind Martin.

Brad Binder secured fourth place, with Marco Bezzecchi in fifth and Alex Marquez in sixth. Fabio Quartararo finished eighth, earning some points, while Fabio Di Giannantonio finished ninth, and Pol Espargaro rounded out the top ten.

Points were also awarded to Miguel Oliveira, Johann Zarco, Takaaki Nakagami, Stefan Bradl, and Jorge Martin, who managed to hold off Vinales for the final point.

Morbidelli crashed out early on lap seven, while Aleix Espargaro retired after his second pit stop, and Augusto Fernandez crashed out. Luca Marini did not participate in the race due to illness.

As the riders left Misano, their focus quickly shifted to the upcoming race weekend, with the championship now tighter than ever. Marquez, riding the momentum of back-to-back wins, had reignited his title hopes, while Bagnaia closed the gap to just seven points behind Martin. Martin, still leading, knew another mistake could cost him dearly. With the title fight on a knife’s edge, every point in the next race would be critical as the battle for the MotoGP crown intensified.

2024 Misano Grand  Prix