The #1 stays calm under pressure to escape his title rival and take his first wet weather win in MotoGP™ as Marquez and Bastianini crash at Buriram
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) reigned supreme with a stunning wet weather win under pressure at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The #1 battled Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) for the lead before the #93 crashed out of contention, leaving Bagnaia to steel his nerves and get the hammer down at the front to escape Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by nearly three seconds. With that statement made, the gap at the top is back down to just 17 points with two race weekends remaining, and it's now officially two contenders for the crown. #TheRematch is on!
Behind that battle there was another, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) claiming the final spot on the podium after a stunning showdown against Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jack Miller.
There was drama before the Grand Prix began, with the wet conditions catching out Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) on the sighting lap. He made the start though, and as the skies above Buriram continued to brood, the lights went out to decide the winner of the 2024 Thai Grand Prix.
Martin made a rocket start, snatching the advantage on the run to Turn 1 as a shuffle through there saw Bagnaia emerge in second, Marquez move up to third and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) lose out as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) went on the attack.
The Championship rivals began to duel – locking horns on the opening laps as Martin went wide, Bagnaia took over but the #89 responded swiftly as he sliced past the Italian at Turn 4. Martin began to extend his lead to almost half a second, shadowed by Bagnaia, with Marquez on their tail as Acosta duelled Quartararo in their wake. The rookie then sailed well wide, giving himself work to do as Quartararo suffered a worse fate following contact from Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing). The Italian was given a Long Lap, and the Frenchman was forced to rejoin at the back.
Back at the front, the first frisson of drama came on Lap 5 as Martin made a crucial error, running wide at Turn 3 and dropping down to third position – behind Marc Marquez. That gave Bagnaia the lead and made it a different tone of Jaws music for the reigning Champion as the #93 continued to shadow him.
More drama hit in the meantime, as Morbidelli's day soon went from bad to worse, crashing out at Turn 8, moments before Bastianini's Grand Prix also came to a halt at Turn 8, with the #23 losing the front and ending any hopes of scoring strong points on Lap 9 - after Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had also slid out.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez began his charge for victory, sending a move down the inside at the final corner. It was repelled. The #93 began to pile on the pressure though, with Martin lurking and waiting for an opportunity to pounce in P3. Marc Marquez sent his next attack on Lap 13, unable to make the move stick, with Bagnaia fighting back.
Marc Marquez continued to push to the limit, but then he pushed over it. The #93 made a crucial mistake at Turn 8 – skitting across the track on his knee and almost, almost saving it, but it wasn't to be. The eight-time World Champion was on the floor on Lap 14, promoting Martin into P2. #TheRematch was all but guaranteed, and the top two were now leading the race – in reverse order.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin not able to home in but this now a battle of nerves. It was a nail-biting finale to the Grand Prix at the front as the laps ticked down for what must have seemed like hours for Bagnaia, but behind we were treated to an incredible show of a different kind.
After his earlier dramas, Acosta was back on terms with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and managed to slice past the South African, then next up was Miller. The Australian put up a stunning fight as the two went toe-to-toe, sideways and all which ways in a high-speed game of chicken, but in the end the rookie was able to make it stick.
At the head of the field, Bagnaia sealed the deal. Nearly three seconds clear and taking his first wet weather MotoGP™ win when he needed one most, the reigning Champion cuts it back down to 17 points ahead of the final two races. With plenty on the line too, Martin's composure in second ensures it's still some gap at least – to falter would have been to cede the title lead. And he didn't.
Acosta completed the podium after his late charge, in the end finishing ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian put in his own final bout of glory. Miller was forced to settle for fifth, ahead of teammate Binder, with Aprilia Racing rider Maverick Viñales next up. The #12 was a further 2.60s behind, crossing the line in front of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco in P8 who takes Honda's best GP result of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Marquez rounded out the top 10 after a dramatic Thai GP. Marc Marquez recovered to 11th, walking away with key points after beating Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR), Bastianini and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), with the #36 securing the final point. Marquez also had to drop a position and did so somewhat contentiously, having earlier made contact with Mir.
So that's it. A day that could have seen everything turn on its head instead turns the screw at the top of the standings, and the rematch now begins. Martin, Bagnaia, 17 points and one crown. There are only two weekends to go, so don't miss the next one as we head for the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia with everything on the line.
#GoldenAi: Ogura clinches 2024 title with P2 as Canet wins in Thailand
Ai came, Ai saw, Ai conquered. Having claimed a P2 finish in a red-flagged Moto2™ PT Grand Prix of Thailand race, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) is the 2024 Moto2™ World Champion! The Japanese star is the first from his country to win the World Championship since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009, and Ogura becomes the first former IDEMITSU Asia Talent Cup rider to win a Grand Prix title. Race winner Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) did all he could to try to put the celebrations on ice in Thailand, as the Spaniard strengthens his grip on the silver medal with win number three of 2024. Meanwhile, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) finished P3 to bag his first rostrum of the season.
Ogura got away well from pole position to slot into the lead ahead of Canet at Turn 1 before Canet pounced at Turn 3. Ogura was back in the lead at Turn 4 though as Turn 5 saw two key contenders go down. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) crashed and took out the luckless Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), as the fast-starting Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) sent it up the inside of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Ogura as the Championship leader was shuffled down to P7.
On Lap 3, Canet led from Ramirez and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), with Lopez back down to P12 having run wide at Turn 5 a lap earlier. Ogura was now P6 behind Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Moreira.
After a hectic start, the race settled down. The top six – Canet to Ogura – were covered by 1.7s with 16 laps to go, as Ogura then began to make moves. His first one was to set the fastest lap of the race, and his second was to aggressively pass Binder down at Turn 3. Contact was made, Binder was forced to run wide, as Ogura then set his sights on Dixon and Moreira.
With 16 laps to go, Dixon was picked off for P4 as Ogura stood in a Championship clinching position. Moreira was then demoted to P4 on Lap 9 of 22 as Ogura climbed to P3 and set another fastest lap of the race. The gap to Ramirez and Canet? 1.6s.
After a couple of laps, Ogura was right on the coattails of Ramirez. And with nine laps to go, at Turn 3, the #79 used the cutback to great effect to overtake Ramirez. That was now P2 for Ogura, who had 0.9s to make up if he wanted to attack race leader Canet.
That was soon 1.6s though as light rain began to fall in Buriram! Understandably, Ogura was cautious but with six laps to go, the rain wasn’t heavy enough for any kind of stoppage to come into play. Canet,
meanwhile, slammed in his personal best lap of the race to edge his advantage up to two seconds.
With two to go, Canet was 3.6s clear of Ogura who in turn was a second ahead of Ramirez and then, the red flags were shown. Due to weather conditions and with 20 of 22 laps completed (over 2/3rds), Ai Ogura was crowned 2024 Moto2™ World Champion.
The red flags came out at the right time for Ramirez as home hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) was on course to get himself into the podium picture, but the returning Thai rider had to settle for P4. Nonetheless, that was some effort from Chantra. Moreira rounded out the top five in a brilliant battle that included sixth place Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), seventh place Dixon, eighth place Albert Arenas (Gresini Moto2™) and ninth place Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™).
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top 10 in Thailand, with Lopez settling for P11 after being in the podium fight before a mistake. Sergio Garcia's (MT Helmets - MSI) title hopes are now ended as the Spaniard ends the Thai GP in P12, with Ayumu Sasaki (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and replacement rider Jorge Navarro (OnlyFans American Racing Team) the final points scorers.
And so, with two races to spare, a golden year sees #GoldenAi crowned a World Champion for the first time. The pressure will be off heading to Malaysia next weekend as we now focus on the race for second place, and it's Canet who's now in pole position for the silver medal after a classy third win of the season.
Alonso rewrites the record books as Lunetta and Veijer take dramatic late podiums
David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) continued to etch his name into the record books at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, securing a 12th victory of the season and creating history as the rider to win the most races in a single season in the lightweight class... now beating, not equalling, Valentino Rossi's 1997 record. The Colombian took the win by a few tenths ahead of rookie Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) grabbing the final spot on the podium after a dramatic run to the line and contact with Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia).
It was declared a wet race start, meaning a reduced distance of 12 laps and an opportunity for the Moto3™ field to complete multiple sighting laps given every session throughout the weekend was dry. By the time it was lights out though, everyone in the field opted for slicks barring Eddie O'Shea (Fleetsafe Honda - MLav Racing).
From pole, Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) claimed the holeshot and stormed into the lead at Turn 1, but it was a dramatic start, with Veijer not waiting long to pounce – stealing the lead from the Australian. The #66 responded though, bunching up the lead group as Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) created opportunities after carving his way inside the top five. The #48 attacked Kelso early after the polesitter was demoted to P5 after a tough Lap 3.
Meanwhile, it was soon Alonso’s time to shine as spots of rain fell onto the circuit. The Colombian snatched the lead on Lap 4, setting sights on a 12th win of the season and the opportunity to create history in Thailand. Alonso had steep competition on his hands as Furusato took over in front, who began to put the hammer down.
Lunetta then began to make inroads, catching the back of the lead group after stunning pace. The Italian soon began to duel with Veijer as he set sights on the podium. There was then drama at the front for the Leopard Racing squad that interrupted the group too, with Angel Piqueras and Adrian Fernandez colliding on Lap 11.
It was a grandstand finish, with Ortola and Alonso going head-to-head on the 12th and final lap. Alonso made the move stick, storming to glory in Thailand as Lunetta and Veijer were able to pinch the podium from Ortola, who ran wide at the final corner. There as high drama in that fight as Furusato and Veijer made contact, the Japanese rider crashing just before the line. Rider ok and classified, but not a podium finish as he takes P5 behind Ortola.
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) battled his way from P17 on the grid to P6, and he pipped teammate Kelso to the line as Scott Ogden (FleetSafe Honda - MLav Racing) took the flag in a strong eighth.
Further back, Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) and Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP’s Tatsuki Suzuki rounded out a competitive top 10. The #24 was ahead of compatriot Ryusei Yamanaka in 11th, with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power), Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rookie Jacob Roulstone completing the points after a penalty for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda.
Can Alonso extend the record even further? We'll found out in Malaysia as the final two rounds of 2024 give him two final shots at glory this season.