Bagnaia claims stunning wet weather win at Thai GP; Martin & Acosta complete podium
Francesco Bagnaia dominated the Grand Prix of Thailand at Chang International Circuit on Sunday, claiming a stunning wet-weather victory under immense pressure. Bagnaia battled with Marc Marquez for the lead before Marquez crashed out of contention. This left Bagnaia to steady his nerves and pull away at the front, eventually finishing nearly three seconds ahead of championship leader Jorge Martin. As a result, the gap at the top of the standings has narrowed to just 17 points, with two race weekends remaining. It has now officially a two-man race for the crown.
Marc Marquez's race was marked by two distinct phases: an early crash that dropped him to 16th place, and a controversial incident at Turn 3 involving Joan Mir. Marquez was penalized with a drop-one-position penalty for irresponsible riding. After the race, he was initially demoted from 11th to 12th place but was later reinstated to 11th when it was confirmed he had served his penalty during the race.
Behind the front-runners, Pedro Acosta secured the final spot on the podium after a thrilling battle with Jack Miller.
Drama unfolded even before the race began, as the wet conditions caught out Alex Marquez on the sighting lap. Despite this, he made it to the start. With ominous skies hanging over Buriram, the lights went out to decide the 2024 Thai Grand Prix.
Jorge Martin made a lightning start, taking the lead into Turn 1, while Bagnaia emerged in second and Marquez moved into third. Enea Bastianini lost ground as Fabio Quartararo launched an early attack.
The championship rivals wasted no time in dueling, with Martin running wide early on, allowing Bagnaia to take the lead. However, Martin quickly responded, reclaiming first place with a bold move at Turn 4. He began to extend his lead to almost half a second, with Bagnaia in pursuit and Marquez close behind. Meanwhile, Acosta and Quartararo engaged in their own battle, until Quartararo was knocked off track after contact with Franco Morbidelli, who was handed a long-lap penalty.
The race took its first dramatic turn on Lap 5 when Martin made a critical error at Turn 3, running wide and dropping to third behind Marquez. Bagnaia took advantage, seizing the lead as Marquez continued to apply pressure. More drama followed soon after, as Morbidelli's day went from bad to worse, crashing out at Turn 8. Moments later, Bastianini's race also came to an end at Turn 8, crashing out on Lap 9 after Marco Bezzecchi had also exited the race earlier.
Marquez was relentless in his pursuit of victory, launching an attack at the final corner but failing to make it stick. He kept pushing, with Martin lurking in third. On Lap 13, Marquez made another attempt, but Bagnaia once again held firm.
The turning point came on Lap 14 when Marquez pushed beyond the limit at Turn 8, sliding across the track on his knee and narrowly missing a save. The eight-time World Champion crashed out, promoting Martin to second place.
Bagnaia kept the hammer down at the front, maintaining his lead as Martin struggled to close the gap. The reigning champion held his nerve in a nail-biting finish, eventually crossing the line nearly three seconds ahead of Martin.
Behind the leaders, Acosta launched a late charge, overtaking Brad Binder and then Jack Miller in a fierce, high-speed battle. Despite Miller's resistance, Acosta managed to claim the final podium spot.
At the front, Bagnaia took his first wet-weather MotoGP victory at a crucial moment, cutting the championship gap to 17 points with two races remaining. Martin's calm second-place finish preserved his lead, ensuring the title race remains wide open. Acosta completed the podium, with Fabio Di Giannantonio finishing fourth after a late surge. Miller settled for fifth, followed by teammate Binder. Maverick Vinales finished seventh, 2.6 seconds behind Binder, with Johann Zarco in eighth, delivering Honda's best result of the season.
Aleix Espargaro and Alex Marquez rounded out the top 10. Marc Marquez recovered to 11th, scoring valuable points after beating Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami, Bastianini, and Joan Mir, with Mir securing the final point. Marquez also had to drop a position during the race after earlier contact with Mir, a penalty he served contentiously.
In the end, a day that could have upended the championship instead tightened the race. With only two weekends remaining, Bagnaia and Martin are set for a fierce showdown as they head to the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, with everything on the line.
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