Francesco Bagnaia survives a duel against Jorge Martin to keep his MotoGP title hopes alive after Malaysian GP win.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has kept his World Championship hopes alive at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia. It was a sensational ride from the #1, putting down the hammer after a breathtaking duel with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the opening laps. The #89 went head-to-head with Bagnaia, battling hard at the start of the Grand Prix before finishing in second and rounding out an incredible weekend at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. It was a huge day for the Championship, with Martin’s advantage now reduced to just 24 points as the title fight now rolls onto the final round.
Behind them, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was able to grab the final spot on the podium in a crucial day for ‘The Beast’, who moved a step closer as he continues his fight for third position in the Championship. Bastianini took solid points on Sunday, finishing 10.484s adrift from teammate Bagnaia in a Grand Prix which will be remembered.
Once the lights went out, it was an incredible launch from Bagnaia, charging into the lead at Turn 1 – pushing Martin down to second. However, a crash at Turn 2 involving Fabio Quartararo, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) would bring out the red flag.
The Grand Prix was restarted, with Bagnaia claiming an incredible launch, catapulting into the lead on the run to Turn 1. Martin slotted into second position, with Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) battling into the podium places on Lap 1. Martin made his first move on the opening lap, with the Bagnaia instantly responding as the title fight kicked into another gear.
Bagnaia and Martin continued to lock horns on the circuit, trading places and trading blows in the opening stages of a spectacular Malaysian GP. At the front, the tension was high as the lead continued to swap hands at every opportunity, with just inches separating them on the circuit. Paint was exchanged between the title rivals in the opening stages, with Marc Marquez watching from behind in third place.
It was a true spectacle, with the two title contenders stirring up an incredible fight for the Malaysian crowd. Bagnaia put the hammer down on Lap 5, clocking the fastest lap before stretching his gap to nearly one second. The pace was extremely hot, which would see Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) crash at the tricky Turn 9 before Marc Marquez suffered a crash later in the lap, crashing out of P3 at Turn 15.
Bastianini was now promoted to the podium positions and was provisionally promoted to third in the Championship. ‘The Beast’ had a consistent rhythm, running ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) on the circuit, as the #73 continued to fend off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) for P4.
Martin’s momentum began to build, with the Championship leader edging closer to Bagnaia in every sector, soon decreasing the gap to 1.5s. However, the #89 made a crucial mistake at Turn 9 – dropping a further eight-tenths behind. Tension was high in the closing laps, with remaining focused being the ask to Martin from Prima Pramac Racing.
Bagnaia remained unstoppable, crossing the line to win by 3.141s on a critical day in the 2024 MotoGP World Champion. The Italian’s victory will allow #TheRematch to roll on after defeating Martin in Malaysia. The #89 worked hard throughout the Grand Prix, sitting on a 24 point advantage after beating Bastianini, who rounded out the podium rostrum in P3.
Alex Marquez claimed fourth, with the #73 continuing to defend from Acosta in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. 1.469s separated the duo at the line as Quartararo heroically finished inside the top six after a stunning ride from the Frenchman on the restart. The #20 placed ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Alex Rins as the #42 grabbed eighth.
The final spots on the top 10 spots were taken by Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LRC) bagged 11th. Marc Marquez charged to 12th, ending a strong recovery ride with points as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Morbidelli, and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) scored the final point on Sunday.
Result: https://x.com/MotoGP/status/1852991103705776206
Here’s how MotoGP sprint was won by Jorge Martin
[Note: The story is as per press release]