Francesco “Peco” Bagnaia won the FIM MotoGP World Championship in Motegi, Japan on Sunday. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin Control tyres, the two-time and defending world champion won the 24-lap race by 1.189 seconds.
Bagnaia’s rival George Martin finished second in the Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Marc Marquez made it an all-Ducati podium by placing third on his Gresini Ducati.
For the championship, Bagnaya is now 10 points behind his main rival, Martin, who has 382 points. Bastianini is third with 313 points.
Further, from Dorna’s press release:
The Italian waved Motegi to his eighth win of the season ahead of Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) added his name to an impressive list after proving a perfect start off the line before setting a relentless pace from start to finish as the #1 made it eight wins of the season at the MotoGP of Japan. The reigning world champion won George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who charged from P11 on the grid and now his advantage is down to just 10 points. It’s shaping up to be an unmissable finale to the season, with everything on hold.
Mark Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) came home in a strong third after an amazing ride from the #93, who defended hard in the closing laps. Meanwhile, it was more disappointing Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), the rookie crashed out of the Grand Prix and finished the weekend with zero points.
At the start, Bagnaia made a good debut, with the reigning world champion drawing level on Acosta’s brakes. The reigning world champion was brutal, hitting the lead, forcing Acosta into second place. Meanwhile, the battle for the third place began Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) holding company.
Martin and Marc Marquez were on the move in the opening stages, starting their machines in the top five. Marc Marquez completes an impressive pass at the Red Bull KTM factory race Jack Miller It is very important to get into the five.
Meanwhile, there is drama attached to this. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) suffers at the end of the day after a collision Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) – Drivers OK. The FIM MotoGP™ stewards investigated the incident and gave Alex Marquez a long lap for the Australian GP.
At the end of Lap 3, it was all over for Acosta, who crashed out of the Grand Prix in the final corner – promoting Martin to P2. Acosta’s mistake allowed the reigning world champion to stretch his lead over nearest rival Martin to over a second. The fastest rounds begin trading hands in the opening stages as Martin starts to get incredibly close.
Marc Marquez continued to make up ground, defiantly passing Binder for the final spot on the podium. The South African was soon under pressure Ine Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), who continued to gain time after a hectic start. Bastianini made the move stick on lap 10, with ‘The Beast’ now in a strong fourth place.
back, Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) had a tough start after starting on the front row. #12 Soon he started fighting with his partner Alex Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) for last place in top 10 before crashing on lap 12 – rider ok.
Saturday’s sprint battle was shaping up to be a rematch, with Bastianini crashing into Marc Marquez for a mistake going into Turn 1. The difference was less than a second after a stage fight that delighted the Japanese fans.
The leading duo continued to run at impressive pace, with Bagnaia maintaining an eight-tenths gap with Martin with a handful of laps to go. #1 responded, stretching his margins to over a second – pushing Martin to the limit.
In the final round, Bagnaia looked unstoppable, stealing the spotlight on Sunday and cutting Martin’s championship chances to four rounds. It’s building to a classic finish to 2024, with Martin crossing the line in second place ahead of Marc Marquez. The #93s worked hard in the closing stages, holding the podium from ninth.
Bastiani scored strong points on Sunday and crossed the line in fourth place Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), rounding out the top five at #21. Morbidelli’s Sunday consistency continued, with just 0.562s separating the pair to finish ahead of Binder. Pertamina Enduro VR46 racing team Marco Bezecchi And Fabio D’Giantantonio Rounding out a strong day for the Bologna brand, he finished in the top eight.
Espargaro and Miller took the final spots in the top 10, with the Australian unable to find pace late after a string of starts. Meanwhile, Johann Zarko (CASTROL Honda LCR) 11 placedThScream Fabio Quatararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) #20 on the line after running out of fuel. Takaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) ended by winning the emotional Grand Prix Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) and Trackhouse Racing’s Raul FernandezHe took the final points on Sunday.
After an amazing weekend in Japan, the world’s most exciting sport leads the title by just 10 points as we head back to Phillip Island in unprecedented form for the much-anticipated Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in two weeks. Can Bagnaia reclaim his championship advantage in Australia? Be sure to join to find out!
 delivers win number eight of the season at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, adding his name to an illustrious list after the #1 claimed the perfect launch off the line before setting a relentless){kind=link}