Enea Bastianini claimed victory in the MotoGP Sprint race at the Thai GP, taking the lead right after the start and dominating Saturday’s race in Buriram. Meanwhile, Jorge Martín extended his points gap over Francesco Bagnaia in the title fight.
Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) made an aggressive start but lost ground, dropping to fifth after the first corner. Bastianini (Ducati), on the other hand, surged into the lead ahead of teammate Bagnaia.
Marc Márquez (Gresini/Ducati) held third place, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3/KTM) in fourth. By the second lap, Martín had reclaimed fourth from Acosta, though the rookie’s race took a turn for the worse as he crashed on the fourth lap, ending his hopes for a strong finish.
Martín’s comeback continued on lap five, overtaking Marc Márquez to chase down Bagnaia. In a bold move on the seventh lap, the #89 passed Bagnaia, gaining an edge in their title rivalry. While Marc Márquez remained close behind them, Bastianini maintained a solid lead at the front.
The surprise move! 👊@88jorgemartin pounces on @PeccoBagnaia!
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 26, 2024
Martin receives a track limits warning for going on the green! ⚠️#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/xBEWsvM2Rr
Despite his strong pace, Martín faced pressure over potential track limit penalties, while Bagnaia kept the pressure on. The Spaniard managed to pull away in the final lap.
Unchallenged up front, Bastianini secured victory with a 1.357s lead over Martín, who finished second. Bagnaia took third, losing more points to Martín in the championship battle. Marc Márquez and his brother Álex (Gresini/Ducati) completed the top five.
Additional points went to Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac/Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46/Ducati), and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), with Binder being the highest-finishing non-Ducati rider.
Results:
2nd for @88jorgemartin
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 26, 2024
3rd for @PeccoBagnaia
A crucial two-point difference 🚨#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/kI93t5NAmR
