Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the two-time MotoGP World Champion won the 24-lap race by 1.474 seconds.
The newly crowned 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin placed third on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Marquez’s brother and teammate, Alex Marquez took fourth.
In his last race as a full-time MotoGP racer, Aleix Espargaro crossed the finish line fifth on his Aprilia RS-GP.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
#MART1NATOR: Martin crowned 2024 World Champion as Bagnaia beats Marquez in Barcelona. Jorge Martin has clinched the 2024 MotoGP™ World Champion and made history in Barcelona, with Bagnaia securing the final victory of the season.
After 20 Sprints and 19 Grand Prix, everything came down to the final race of the season at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, a weekend which held special significance beyond the action on the circuit as we went #RacingForValencia. It was a magical weekend for Jorge Martin(Prima Pramac Racing), with the #89 being crowned the 2024 MotoGP™ World Champion and the first independent rider to clinch the title in the MotoGP™ era. The Spaniard crossed the line in third, and even with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking victory, it would still be high enough for Martin to be crowned Champion.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) claimed a strong second place, unable to match Bagnaia’s pace at the finish. The #93 joined Bagnaia and Martin on an unforgettable podium after a phenomenal final Grand Prix.
As the light went out for the final time in 2024, Bagnaia took the lead at Turn 1, with Martin in pursuit and under immediate pressure from Marquez on the opening lap of the Grand Prix. It was a tense start, with Martin placing himself in a prime position – needing to cross the line ninth or higher.
Martin was soon demoted to third, with Marc Marquez making a key move on Lap 2 – setting sights on future teammate Bagnaia. Meanwhile, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) began his attack before Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) entered the fight for the top four on Lap 3. ‘The Beast’ began a vital duel with Espargaro as Bastianini looked to secure third in the Championship.
However, Bastianini’s hopes of a podium and third place in the Championship took a blow after the Italian ran wide on Lap 8, dropping to eighth. He was left with a huge task ahead, fighting with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for the final spots inside the top 10.
Espargaro was soon faced with another challenge, sitting in fourth behind Martin with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) now on his tailpipe. The #73 eyed his first opportunity on Lap 11 but was unable to make the move stick at the start of a thrilling duel.
At the front, Bagnaia continued a relentless pace, remaining inside the 1:40 bracket with 11 laps remaining. It was an impressive ride from the Italian, pulling out all stops to increase a half-a-second gap to Marc Marquez. The #93 tried everything to respond, beginning to turn up the wick and match the Italian’s pace.
Tyres played a huge role for some as the laps ticked down, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) beginning to struggle with grip in the closing stages. Acosta was sixth on the circuit, so losing a position to Bastianini before dropping to ninth on Lap 18 after losing a further place to Morbidelli and receiving a track limits warning.
In the closing stages, Bagnaia maintained his lead to Marc Marquez, with Martin crucially remaining in third position. It was a dream ride for the #89, edging closer to clinching his maiden MotoGP™ World Championship at every corner. Martin stayed consistent, crossing the line to become the 2024 MotoGP™ World Champion!
Alex Marquez managed to edge out Espargaro in the closing laps, finishing fourth and missing the podium rostrum by just 1.512 seconds. Espargaro would round out the top five after a breathtaking ride, which saw the #41 defend heroically in the closing laps in his final outing as a full-time World Champion. Meanwhile, Binder claimed eighth, beating Bastianini to the line after an epic battle.
Further back, Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Acosta rounded out the top 10 in a remarkable day in Barcelona. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took 11th, finishing in front of Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the final points were awarded to Johann Zarco (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing).
And just like that, 2024 draws to a close after an unforgettable season which will go down in the history books. However, the focus now shifts to Tuesday for the Barcelona Test as the riders and teams return to track for the first on their 2025 machines, where it will mark Martin’s debut for Aprilia!