Francesco Bagnaia is back to winning in MotoGP. This Sunday, the rider took the lead in the Japanese GP right after the start and never let it go, dominating the race at Motegi from start to finish, bringing him closer to the top of the championship, now only ten points behind.
A good start from Bagnaia (Ducati) allowed him to take the lead ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3/KTM), who had occupied pole position. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) moved into third, and Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) quickly positioned himself in the top four.
On the fourth lap, Acosta crashed at Turn 14, once again missing the opportunity to win. Martín thus moved into second place, chasing down Bagnaia. Marc Márquez (Gresini/Ducati) also started to recover positions and, with 18 laps to go, was right behind Martín.
THE SHARK FALTERS AGAIN! 😱@37_pedroacosta has crashed out of 2nd at Turn 14 💥💥💥#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/gwcaOxrJfg
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 6, 2024
The championship leader managed to shake off the pressure and close the gap to Bagnaia, keeping the Italian “on his toes.” Further back, an interesting battle for fourth place was unfolding between Binder and Enea Bastianini (Ducati).
The sky was darkening, with rain a threat as Martín was pressuring Bagnaia. However, the Italian managed to maintain a consistently strong pace, finding a way to re-establish a more comfortable distance.
After getting past Binder, Bastianini set his sights on Márquez’s third place, but the eight-time world champion managed to withstand the pressure. With five laps remaining, Martín’s approach to Bagnaia was evident, but he was still over a second behind.
Four laps to go! ⏳@88jorgemartin looks like he's slowly chipping away at @PeccoBagnaia 💨#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/54yFI8zc7l
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 6, 2024
The Spaniard managed to close the gap to less than a second from the leader but ultimately settled for second place, playing it safe and accepting the 20 points.
Thus, Bagnaia secured victory, with Martín finishing second. Márquez triumphed over Bastianini in a battle for third that lasted until the end. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac/Ducati) rounded out the top five.
