The Solidarity Barcelona MotoGP marked an exhilarating end to the season with Jorge Martin achieving a historic milestone by clinching the 2024 MotoGP Championship title.
The race, held on November 17, 2024, saw the departing Prima Pramac rider secure his place in the annals of MotoGP history as the first independent team rider to win the championship in the modern era.
Despite Francesco Bagnaia’s impressive victory in the race, Jorge Martin’s strategic performance allowed him to maintain his lead in the overall standings, finishing third and ultimately sealing the 2024 MotoGP Championship title with a ten-point margin over his rival.
The atmosphere at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was electric as fans gathered to witness the culmination of a gripping season. Martin entered the race needing only a ninth-place finish to secure the championship, while Bagnaia aimed for yet another win to keep his title hopes alive.
As the lights went out, it was Saturday’s Sprint race winner Bagnaia who made a perfect start from pole position, leading into Turn 1 with Jorge Martin closely following. Meanwhile, Gresini’s Marc Marquez, slotted into third place, setting up an intense battle among the front runners.
From the outset, Bagnaia demonstrated his determination by maintaining his lead throughout the race while fending off challenges from Marquez and Martin to steadily build a gap.
The first few laps saw Marquez who was eager to secure a podium finish and solidify his position in the standings, push hard but found it challenging to close the gap to Bagnaia. Behind them the battle was no less, with Enea Bastianini and Aleix Espargaro engaged in a spirited charge for fourth place.
As the race progressed, Jorge Martin settled into a rhythm content to hold third position with a clear strategy: maintain consistency and avoid unnecessary risks that could jeopardize a straightforward 2024 MotoGP Championship title win.
This approach paid off as he gradually distanced himself from riders trailing behind while keeping an eye on Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez ahead. The top three riders—Bagnaia, Marquez, and Martin—began to pull away from the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, Enea Bastianini and Aleix Espargaro were still locked in contention for fourth place. However, Bastianini’s hopes for a strong finish took a hit on lap eight when he ran wide at Turn 2 and had to take an escape road.
This costly mistake dropped him back in the pack and ultimately left him fighting for points rather than podium positions. As he struggled to recover from this setback, Espargaro moved up to challenge Martin for third place but found it difficult to make significant headway.
By lap 15, Bagnaia had increased his lead over Marquez to half a second after posting an impressive lap time. Marquez attempted to close this gap but was unable to mount a serious challenge for the lead as Bagnaia continued to set a blistering pace.
Meanwhile, Jorge Martin remained comfortably in third place and with each lap that passed, it became clearer that he was on course to secure the 2024 MotoGP Championship title.
Ultimately, Francesco Bagnaia crossed the finish line first, celebrating his eleventh win of the season with exuberance; however, it was clear that this victory would not be enough to defend his title. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez finished second after an impressive ride that capped his comeback season.
Jorge Martin crossed the line in third place with tears filled in his eyes—he had done it! He had secured his maiden crown—the 2024 MotoGP Championship title amid a whirlwind of emotions.
With Martin’s win Pramac Racing celebrated their first-ever world champion after two decades in competition—a testament to their commitment and hard work within a highly competitive field dominated by factory teams.
The final Solidarity Barcelona MotoGP classification saw Alex Marquez taking fourth ahead of Aleix Espargaro who concluded his career with an impressive fifth-place finish in what was his last race as a full-time MotoGP rider.
KTM’s Brad Binder recovered to secure sixth and end the championship season as the leading non-Ducati rider once more. Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli finished seventh and eighth for the factory and Pramac Ducati as Marco Bezzecchi overtook Pedro Acosta on the final lap to place ninth.
