Bagnaia cuts Martin’s lead in the championship standings to just four points after winning a tense Emilia Romagna MotoGP Sprint race.
Francesco Bagnaia delivered a stunning performance in the 2024 Emilia Romagna MotoGP Sprint race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, significantly narrowing the championship gap to his title rival Jorge Martin.
Starting from pole position after setting a new lap record during qualifying, the reigning world champion faced an unexpected challenge right from the beginning of the race that unfolded over 13 laps.
As the lights went out, it was Jorge Martin who made a blistering start, quickly overtaking Bagnaia and even Brad Binder, who had also launched well off the line. By the end of the first lap, the Pramac rider had established himself at the front, showcasing his determination to extend his championship lead.
However, Bagnaia was not to be outdone as he and his Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini swiftly recovered from their initial setbacks and by the end of the first lap, Pecco had maneuvered past Binder and was firmly in pursuit of Martin.
As the race progressed, Bagnaia cuts Martin’s lead steadily and by midway point he was right on his rival’s tail, creating a tense atmosphere as both riders pushed their machines to their limits.
Bagnaia’s relentless pursuit paid off when Martin made a critical mistake with six laps to go. Running wide through turn 13, Martin opened the door for his stablemate to slip through and take the lead.
From that point Bagnaia maintained his composure and skillfully navigated the remaining laps to secure his victory. Despite Martin – who was hit with a late track limits warning – keeping the pressure on in the final laps, he could do nothing to turn the tables and had to settle for second.
Meanwhile, Enea Bastianini put in a solid performance to complete the podium in third place, finishing 1.034 seconds behind Pramac. While he was unable to keep pace with the leading duo during the latter stages of the race, Bastianini’s consistency ensured that he remained competitive throughout the race.
Marc Marquez displayed resilience by finishing fourth after starting from seventh on the grid. The Gresini rider managed to fend off challenges from Pedro Acosta, who finished fifth after an impressive ride that saw him gain positions early on in the race.
Brad Binder finished sixth but struggled to match the pace of the leaders despite a strong start while Fabio Quartararo managed to secure seventh place after battling through various challenges during the race.
Marco Bezzecchi finished eighth while Franco Morbidelli took ninth place for Pramac Ducati as Maverick Viñales rounded out the top ten with a respectable performance for Aprilia.
There were no retirements in the Emilia Romagna MotoGP Sprint, though long lap penalties were handed out to Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) and Joan Mir (Honda) for repeatedly exceeding track limits.
2024 Emilia Romagna MotoGP Sprint Results
