Grand Prix of Japan 2024: Bagnaia takes commanding victory
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) secured his eighth win of the season at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, delivering a dominant performance from start to finish. The reigning World Champion led every lap at the Mobility Resort Motegi, maintaining a relentless pace to cross the finish line 1.012 seconds ahead of rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). With this victory, Bagnaia has reduced Martin's Championship lead to just 10 points, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the season.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) completed the podium in third, putting in a commendable ride after starting from ninth on the grid. Marquez made several key overtakes during the race and successfully fended off challenges from Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) in the closing laps.
The race began with Bagnaia making an excellent start, holding off pressure from Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who slotted into second. However, Acosta's hopes were dashed early when he crashed out of contention on Lap 3, promoting Martin to second place. From there, the battle between the top two intensified, but Bagnaia managed to extend his lead, while Martin settled for a solid second.
Further back, a series of incidents shaped the race. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) collided with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), resulting in the former receiving a Long Lap penalty for the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) also faced disappointment, crashing out on Lap 12 after a difficult start.
Bastianini, who started from the second row, finished fourth after a steady race, holding off Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who rounded out the top five. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished sixth, narrowly missing out on the top five by 0.562 seconds after a late-race tussle with Morbidelli.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team's Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line in seventh and eighth, respectively, completing a strong showing for Ducati-powered machines. Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and KTM's Jack Miller claimed the final spots inside the top 10.
Meanwhile, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) finished 11th, ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who ran out of fuel towards the end of the race. Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) completed a commendable ride at his home Grand Prix, finishing 13th, while Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) rounded out the final points positions.
With just four rounds remaining in the 2024 MotoGP season, the Championship battle is heating up. As Bagnaia inches closer to Martin, all eyes are set on the next round in Australia to see how the title fight unfolds.
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