The Championship leader cedes ground after flag-to-flag gamble, Marquez holds off Bagnaia and Bastianini maintains his 100% podium record at Misano.
Just one week after returning to the top step of the podium, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) reigned supreme once again at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. The #93’s prowess in tough-to-judge conditions was back with a bang as a flag-to-flag offered chance to gamble – with a switch, or with a push towards the front. Marquez chose the latter and picked his way through to glory for his first back-to-back wins since 2021.
Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) also chose to stay out, and remained locked with Marquez for much of the race before settling into second place as a huge twist offered up a chance at key Championship gains: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) DID take the gamble to pit, and it didn’t pay off. He came back out a lap down after having been forced to switch a second time, taking one point for P15 as his lead is cut to seven points.
Finally, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) took the final spot on the rostrum, keeping his 100% MotoGP™ rostrum record at Misano in tact and making his own gains on Martin in the standings.
There was drama before the start, with spots of rain and tension in the air. The white flags waved, allowing riders to swap bikes, and the stage was set for an enthralling San Marino GP. As the lights went out, Bagnaia secured the holeshot, this time holding off Martin as the #89 got a good start but this time had to also dispatch teammate and front row starter Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) in third.
The two were locked together in the lead and Martin half went for a divebomb move at Turn 2, forced to cede and just avoiding contact with Bagnaia, but there was some contact further back in the aftermath as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) then tried a move on Morbidelli but clashed with the Italian. The #31 lost a wing but did eventually find his way through at Turn 8 before ceding it again as he went wide at Turn 10. Sadly the rookie’s race then took a twist as he crashed out not long after, with the rain starting to pick up, and Morbidelli was next to slide out. Riders ok.
As the rain started to have a visible effect on the pace, there were decisions to be made. And at the front, Martin was now right back on the exhaust of Bagnaia in the lead, with Marc Marquez making serious progress into the group and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) too. Heading towards pit entry next time round, there was one rider who decided to pit from the group: Martin.
As he peeled in, Bagnaia led Marquez at the front, but not for long. By the end of Lap 8, the #93 was into the lead and Miller was hot on Bagnaia’s heels too, with Martin down in P15 afer rejoining. But the rain didn’t get any worse, allowing Marquez and Bagnaia to stretch away just as Martin realised he was going to have to pit, again.
Re-emerging a lap down but right behind the leaders, the goal for Bagnaia to make Championship gains was now wide open. Those who gambled – Martin, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing), Acosta after rejoining, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) and Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales all pitted again, all but out of the fight for points.
Meanwhile, the rain had stopped but the gap at the front was only getting bigger. After holding it steady with Bagnaia on his tail, the #93 began to pull away in the lead. Bastianini was also fast coming into podium contention, pipping past Miller to take over in third, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was next on the scene as he charged through into fourth as conditions improved, but as Bagnaia couldn’t make inroads on Marquez, neither could Bastianini nor Binder bridge their respective gaps.
Marquez kept it upright in some style to take first first back-to-back wins in 2021, throwing his name more firmly back into the Championship hat and on Gresini home turf. Bagnaia’s second place, however, was a stunning 19-point swing in the Championship as Martin’s gamble backfired – and the reigning Champion was happy enough with that for a tough day’s work under pressure.
Behind Bastianini and Binder in third and fourth, a duel to the finish decided fifth. After a tougher start from the front row, Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was storming back through and homing in on Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) as the laps ticked down, glueing the VR46 machine to the rear wheel ahead. The move came in the form of a dive up the inside at Turn 14, and Bezzecchi made it stick and held off the counter attack to complete the top five.
Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) concluded an impressive weekend, with the #20 matching his and Yamaha’s best results of 2024 so far as they work on moving back towards the front. The Frenchman duelled Miller to the flag in the latter stages, slicing through at Turn 8 to take that P7. Fabio di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s wildcard Pol Espargaro rounded out the top 10, with Martin taking that single point in P15.
After that incredible weekend of Championship twists, it’s once again tight at the top in the world’s most exciting sport. Racing will return to the iconic Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in two weeks at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, and that’s after a one-day test on Monday too as the grid reset and reload for more!
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