2024 MotoGP Catalan: Bagnaia wins thriller in Barcelona as Martin finishes 2nd

It was a thrilling Sunday afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain with the heat beating down on the track asking tricky questions to all riders. On a day when most riders opted for medium rear tyres only four teams (eight riders) went with soft rear tyres, and results were on expected lines.

Reigning champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia came back with an emphatic win at the 2024 MotoGP Catalan after a horror show in yesterday’s Sprint. The Italian, who handed victory to Aleix Espargaro with a last-lap crash in the Sprint, was back at his best after a thrilling encounter lasting 24 laps and 40 minutes.

Jorge Martin, who maintained a clear lead for the majority of the race, was eager to register his third Grand Prix win this season before Bagnaia overshadowed him diving inside at Turn 5. Martin had to be content with the second spot in the podium but maintained a clear lead in the championship point table. At the end of MotoGP Catalan, the Ducati Pramac racer stands at the top of the table with 155 points, 39 points ahead of defending champion Bagnaia.

Marc Marquez: Comeback of the season

However, the highlight of the race was the comeback of Marc Marquez, starting the race from the fourteenth place and earning a podium spot. After a below par qualifying round yesterday, Marquez showed his true class, taking it easy in the first half while reserving his best for the latter half of the race. 

The comeback sounds even more special and significant since the Gresini racer was one of the few riders running on a soft rear tyre. For others running a soft rear, it didn’t yield positive results. For the uninitiated, Gresini Racing, Pramac Racing, KTM Factory, and Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 opted for a softer tyre setup instead of medium ones.

Turn 10: Sudden ‘turn’ of events

Turn 10 was evidently the most eventful turn with as many as three crashes taking place. Jack Miller was the first when the Australian crashed out in the third lap. It was followed by Agusto Fernandez and Franco Morbidelli crashing out at Turn 10, forcing the GASGAS and Lenovo Ducati racers to watch the rest of the race from the pits.

However, the most tragic crash was Pedro Acosta gunning for the first place with Martin in the lead. The 20-year old GASGAS racer lost the front on lap 11 and dropped down to 20th spot but unlike others didn’t retire to the pits. This mistake from Acosta pushed Bagnaia into second position, with a stiff fight ensuing between the latter and Martin.

Acosta, however, came back strong and finished thirteenth bagging three important championship points. In a bizarre turn of events, Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini was handed a long lap due to a shortcut at turn 1 and turn 2. Things went from bad to worse for the Ducati Lenovo rider, as he was handed a double long lap for not complying with the original penalty.

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