Enea Bastianini pulled off a last lap move on Jorge Martin to score a historic 100th premier class win for Ducati. The Bologna factory also sealed the 2024 MotoGP constructors’ championship at Misano, with six rounds to go.
Martin had to settle for second place, but he has increased his championship lead after Francesco Bagnaia crashed out on Lap 21.
- Bastianini wins, 5.002 secs ahead of Martin
- Marquez on the podium
Bagnaia crashes out of Emilia Romagna GP
Martin took the lead off the line, but Bagnaia had a better exit out of Turn 1 and overtook him right away. Martin closely followed his title rival, though, and finally found a way past him on Lap 4.
As Martin pulled away out at front, Bagnaia dropped to P3 after being passed by his Ducati teammate Bastianini. But just when it seemed like it was going to be a two-way fight between Martin and Bastianini, Bagnaia upped the pace. He got the gap to the lead down to 2 secs, but suffered a costly crash on Lap 21 of 27.
Bastianini pulls off last lap pass on Martin
This swung the title fight in Martin’s favour, but it wasn’t over and he still had to fend off Bastianini. The two were locked in battle for several laps, but Bastianini finally made a move stick at Turn 4, on the very last lap.
It was a controversial move, with Bastianini forcing Martin off the track and on to the run-off as they made contact. However, the stewards decided not to investigate the incident, confirming Bastianini’s victory on home soil.
“Jorge (Martin) was extremely fast throughout the race and there was a moment in which I wasn’t sure if I could have stayed with him, as I started experiencing a bit of vibration at the rear-end,” Bastianini reflected after the race.
“As the laps went by, however, I tried to understand how to minimize the issue. In the final laps, something extra obviously comes out that enables you to battle for the win. In the end, I made my move: when I dove in, Jorge tried to close the door and that forced me to lean a bit, which led to the front-end locking. I tried to rely on the rear as much as I could, while making sure I could make the turn, and it worked.”
Marquez on the Misano podium
Marc Marquez followed him San Marino GP win with another podium finish, benefitting from Pedro Acosta and Bagnaia’s crashes.
Marco Bezzecchi took fourth place, ahead of Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales. Fabio Quartararo looked on course for a P5 finish, but the Yamaha rider ran out of fuel and just about made it to finish P7. Aleix Espargaro, Alex Marquez and Miguel Oliveira rounded out the top 10.
Ducati wins MotoGP constructors’ championship
With 500 points (261 points clear of KTM), Ducati secured the MotoGP constructors’ championship for the fifth year running. The manufacturer also scored its milestone 100th win the premier class – becoming only the fourth manufacturer to do so, after Honda (313), Yamaha (245) and MG Agusta (139).
2024 MotoGP championship standings
Bagnaia’s crash has helped Martin extend his championship lead to 24 points. Bastianini is third overall, 35 points behind his teammate Bagnaia.
MotoGP will now head to the Mandalika Circuit for the Indonesian GP on September 27-29.
Also see:
New 2027 MotoGP rules explained: 850cc engines, no ride height devices
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